Tear the World Down
by IsisIzabel
Summary: Bonnie/Damon fic; Bonnie and Damon have to put aside their differences to help stop a common enemy. Spoilers through the season 1 finale.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Damon had just rounded Elm Street when he felt it. A whisper of a breeze ruffled his hair, the scent on the wind heady and addictive.

Power.

A knowing grin twisted across his lips. He would know that Power anywhere. He changed his course immediately, cutting silently through backyards until he came out on Parker Avenue. He quickened his pace as he noticed she was ahead of him. It took less than three seconds to close the two hundred foot gap of space between them.

Bonnie turned sharply, whirling on him before he had even come to a stop. And come to a stop he did. Something dark flickered in her obsidian eyes and he came to an abrupt stop, feeling vaguely like he had run into a cinderblock wall. Suddenly he couldn't move at all. Air compressed around him, tightening like a vise. His eyes went wide.

She smiled at the surprise in his eyes. Folding her arms under her chest, she took a slow and steady breath before releasing him from her hold. "Damon," she greeted coolly before pivoting and starting back down the street.

He narrowed his eyes and surged forward, falling into step beside her. "Impressive. I see you _have_ been practicing."

"What do you want? Another thank you for saving your ass again?" Bonnie snorted, flicking her dark hair over one shoulder.

He could help but notice the slender column of throat she exposed to him. _Tempting_ him. He could see her pulse beating proudly against her mocha skin. His throat went dry, aching, as he remembered the taste of her on his lips. His stomach twisted with craving that he managed to control with over a century of practice.

"You think I don't know what you did?" Damon said, his voice smooth as silk against her skin. His fingertips barely touched her elbow, but she came to an immediate halt.

Tilting her face up to him, he saw her eyes reflected in the street lamps. Something in him hesitated. There was no fear at all in her gaze. Even Elena, who claimed to be his friend, still had a small look of hesitance when she looked up at him or even at Stefan.

It was primitive. The primal fear of prey to predator. It was instinctual and not easily overridden.

Bonnie couldn't have seemed more at ease than she was looking into the eyes of a newborn puppy. That confidence was intoxicating, and it made him all the more desperate to see an edge of fear in her. He needed that upper hand.

Damon took a step closer, closing the distance between them to scant inches. He traced the curve of her neck with a single finger, following the trail with his eyes.

"You never deactivated the device, you little witch." His tone was lilting, almost singsong. The accusation hung between them.

To his shock, Bonnie titled her head, offering him better access. His eyes went to hers, momentarily startled to see her regarding him with a look he could only classify as boredom. She arched an eyebrow expectantly.

"Of course I didn't deactivate it," she said after a beat, her lips hooking upward in a smile. "Why in the world would I want to save a town full of vampires that killed my grandmother?"

Rage at her betrayal flared up suddenly, blinding him. His hand closed around her throat and he started applying pressure. He wanted to hurt her. He wanted that smug smile off her face. But somewhere, in a place he almost refused to acknowledge existed, he was proud.

He was proud of her fire and spunk. That even in the face of her own death, she was still calm and controlled. He considered letting her go, letting her live. He wondered if she'd still be smug when his mouth was on her throat. When his lips covered hers.

In nearly a century and a half, no one had challenged him as openly and defiantly as Bonnie Bennett. And, God help him, it made him want her all the more.

Bonnie shut her eyes and placed two hands against his chest and _shoved_. She put all she had into that shove—physically and mentally. Damon's hand came free of her neck and he was hurled backward, slamming into a young sycamore tree that snapped on impact. The sharp crack rang out in the night like a gun shot. A dog started barking down the street and a light in the homeowner's house came on.

Moving fast, Damon ran forward and grabbed Bonnie in his arms until they were out of the street and away from prying eyes. They came to a stop between two old houses that appeared to be empty, its occupants probably at the Founder's Day event.

He released her as soon as they came to a stop, having no desire to be thrown into another tree or worse. He kept a foot of distance between them, his eyes dark with fury.

"Calm down," Bonnie said softly, this time moving towards him. She spoke gently, like she would a child. It infuriated him all the more.

"Stupid fucking _witch_," he hissed through clenched teeth. "I could have been killed tonight."

She stopped and again tilted her head as she studied him. Finally, she laughed quietly, her shoulders shaking. She pressed her slender fingers to her mouth.

"What's so funny?" he demanded.

"Damon," she said, sobering, "you were never in any danger. Relax."

His chest heaved with forced breathing. His fingers curled into fists as he imagined pinning her against the wall of the house behind her. But he had a feeling that even if he could have surprised her, he wouldn't have killed her. Lust and rage were too closely mingled. It was maddening.

He blinked, trying to clear his head enough to focus on the rage. "John Gilbert—"

"—was not going to kill you," Bonnie finished. "I was watching you with him the whole time."

That brought him up short. "You were _watching_?" His brow furrowed in genuine confusion.

"Of course I was. I needed to make sure he didn't kill you, too," she replied as if the answer should be totally obvious to him.

Damon was still scrambling to come up with a reason. "But—"

"I promised Elena I would help you and Stefan. I never once agreed to help save the vampire buried in the tomb. That's why I didn't deactivate the device. I knew I could save you both if it came down to it."

His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "You took a big chance, little girl. Do you _really_ think you know what you're getting into?"

Another smile ghosted her lips as she now closed the distance between them. "I know now more than ever before."

"It took Emily years—"

"I'm not Emily," she said firmly, cutting him off. Something dark flared in her eyes. "Emily had her ways, and I have mine."

Intrigued, he leaned closer to her, using his added height to his advantage. "So now you're what? Protecting me?" He couldn't help the mocking edge to his tone.

Any warmth on her face drained. An icy chill rolled off her in waves. "You tried to kill me. Your selfishness led to my grandmother's death. You've hurt Caroline and Elena—the two people I love most. You've manipulated and lied to half the people in this town. You're a cancer to everyone you touch."

Embarrassment flushed through him unexpectedly. Her words rang of truth and stung more than he cared to admit to even himself. He quickly deflected it with a lazy grin, reaching up and toying with the ends of her hair. "Oh, go _on_."

Her hand moved impossibly fast, closing around his wrist. "It ends now. I've saved you twice, Damon. _You_ owe _me_ now."

He glanced down at where she held him, enjoying the heat her body offered. He could smell her blood now as his pulse through her body. He could feel his fangs start to descend.

"What do you have in mind?" he asked suggestively, letting his gaze roam freely over her.

Her hand tightened against him, something he barely would have noticed except that her hand was no longer just warm, it was hot. Burning even. It was searing his skin and he couldn't pull away. He could smell the scorched flesh now.

Bonnie released him a moment later. She stepped back, watching dispassionately as he rubbed the offended wrist. His brow wrinkled in pain as he looked at the charred lines of skin. They both knew his skin would heal, but the implication was there. She had branded him.

"I saved you from the fire, Damon," she said, a sharp edge of her voice that he couldn't ignore. "I can easily throw you back in. Slip up even once, and I won't hesitate."

"You're threatening me?" he sounded incredulous, but there was underlying steel to his voice. He was pissed.

"Warning you," she corrected. "You don't want me as an enemy. The scared little girl you attacked in the woods is gone."

"Is that so?"

"Don't test me, Damon. I won't let you hurt anyone else I care about. I'll stop you first."

He moved forward slowly, watching as she backed up. Her gaze was still unwavering, even as her back hit the wall and he raised his arms to bracket her head. He leaned close, inhaling her scent.

"You think you're strong enough to stop me?"

She lifted her eyes to his, her expression serene. "Do you really want to find out?"

Damon watched her a second longer, watched the way her gaze never strayed from his face. He could taste the cinnamon and sugar on her breath as it drifted across his face. After a minute, he dropped his arms and stepped back.

"Have a nice night, Bonnie."

"You too, Damon," she said softly, moving around him and walking back out onto the street and continuing on her way home.

He watched her go until she turned a corner and vanished from sight. He could still sense her. The Power she wielded was like a homing beacon. He could sense her in his mind. It was like a pulse, beating and vibrant.

He considered, for a fleeting moment, going after her again. He wondered briefly if he could surprise her. But even if he could, then what?

He still didn't know if he wanted to kill her or kiss her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Where the hell have you been?" Stefan demanded before Damon even had the front door shut.

Damon hesitated a second, seeing the panic in his younger brother's eyes. He slid out of his jacket. "It's nice to see you, too, little brother."

"I'm serious, Damon."

"You're always serious, Stefan," he reminded him, going towards the wet bar. He needed a drink to steady his nerves.

"Jonathan Gilbert is dead."

Damon paused, slowly lowered the crystal tumbler he had picked up. He turned to face Stefan. "Really?" A slow smile blossomed on his face.

"Did you kill him?" Stefan demanded, crossing the room to stand in front of Damon.

"Unfortunately, no."

"But you were at the Gilbert's." Stefan's tone rang with accusation.

His eyes went hard as ice as he folded his arms across his chest. "I was."

"Why?" Stefan took a step back so as not to grab his brother and shake him.

"Not that it's any of your business, but I went to see Jeremy. John killed Anna in the basement. I thought he should know." Damon kept it short. No need to tell Stefan he had offered to wipe Jeremy's memory again. Or that he had kissed Elena on the front porch. This tenuous truce he had found with Stefan was something he didn't want to jeopardize.

Not yet, anyway.

"Wait—why do you think I killed Uncle John?" Damon demanded, his mind going back to Stefan's question.

Stefan frowned and he rubbed his forehead. "He was clearly murdered by a vampire. His fingers were cut off and his body drained of blood."

Damon's brow creased. "Drained? All the tomb vampires are dead. If it wasn't you, and it wasn't me, then who the hell was it?"

"I don't know," Stefan muttered, stalking to the other side of the room by the fireplace. A log cracked, sending a spray of sparks into the chimney. "But he was killed inside the house, so whoever did it—"

"—has been invited in," Damon finished darkly. He poured a large splash of brandy into the tumbler and downed it all at once. The burn of the alcohol diminished the sharp longing in him for blood. He was craving it after his encounter with Bonnie.

"Exactly," Stefan concluded with a grimace. He braced a forearm across the mantle, looking over at Damon. "It really wasn't you?"

Damon tried not to be offended. "Of course not. I didn't even see John when I was there."

Stefan nodded and turned back, staring at the flames.

"Why aren't you with Elena?"

Stefan shrugged and moved away from the fireplace, restless. He sank onto the couch. "Elena said Jenna's a mess. The police are there. She asked me to wait until they were gone before I came over."

"I take it Elena didn't see anything either?"

Stefan shook his head. "She got held up at school. She couldn't find her dress and got home late."

Damon stiffened, thinking. He had seen Elena with a garment bag draped over her arms as he came out of her house and met her on the front porch.

Ever observant, Stefan noticed his confused look. "What is it?"

Damon shook his head, setting the tumbler down. "Probably nothing."

Stefan opened his mouth to argue, but was cut off by the shrill ringing of his cell phone. Damon watched his eyes soften, knowing it was Elena that was calling.

He needed another drink.

"Hey," Stefan said by way of greeting. He suddenly stood up, the movement graceful and smooth despite its quickness. "Wait—what?"

Damon froze, turning an ear to the conversation. With his heightened sense of hearing, he could pick up the fear and panic in Elena's tone.

"_He isn't breathing, Stefan! I think … Oh, God! Jeremy, wake _up_!"_

Stefan sucked in a sharp breath, his warm brown eyes meeting Damon's gaze. "I'm on my way."

Damon was only a second behind his brother. They hit the front door at a run, heading into the woods.

It was chaos.

Bonnie had arrived only minutes before. Elena had called and she had come right over, that her uncle had been killed. Bonnie had barely made it to the front door and was hugging Jenna just as her best friend started screaming. The absolute pandemonium that ensued in the following two minutes was nothing short of numbing.

Bonnie had followed Jenna, a deputy, and two paramedics up the stairs to where Elena was standing in Jeremy's room, desperately shaking the lifeless boy. The deputy had pulled her aside with the medics rushed to the teen's side, starting CPR. Bonnie and Elena had huddled in the doorway watching with rounded eyes. Jenna was pacing in the hallway, her fingers spearing her hair and she shook her head in disbelief.

After a few anxious looks, the paramedics lifted Jeremy onto a stretcher to move him downstairs and to the awaiting ambulance outside.

Elena's hand flexed around Bonnie's. "I called Stefan. He said he's coming."

Bonnie nodded slowly, moving back as they began carrying Jeremy down the stairs.

"I need to go with him," Elena whispered brokenly, stumbling over her feet as she started for the stairs. Jenna and Bonnie followed.

Deputy Collins, a rookie with wide green eyes and freshly cut dark hair, stopped them at the door. His face was apologetic. "I'm sorry, but one of you needs to stay here."

"I'm going with my brother," Elena told him, her voice wavering.

"My nephew needs us," Jenna added firmly.

He truly looked sorry now. He twisted his hands, wringing them together. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but someone was just murdered in your kitchen."

"Unbelievable," Jenna muttered, turning away. She looked at her niece. "Elena, go with Jeremy. I'll stay."

"You're sure?" Elena pressed, already hedging towards the door.

"I'll stay with her," Bonnie offered quickly with a reassuring smile. "Go with Jeremy."

"Thanks," Elena said softly. She hugged Jenna suddenly. "I'll call you when I hear something."

"Tell Jeremy I'll be there soon," Jenna added as Elena rushed down the stairs. She and Bonnie watched Elena leap into the back before the doors slammed shut. Red and white lights blinded them as they swirled in the night. A siren pierced the stillness as they headed for Mystic Fall General Hospital.

"Ms. Sommers?" Another deputy appeared in the doorway to the kitchen and beckoned to Jenna.

Sighing, Jenna turned and hurried down the hall, Deputy Collins following. Bonnie was about to shut the door when a hand appeared out of the dark and stopped her.

She turned, surprised, to find both Salvatore brothers on the front porch. She suspected both had run over, but neither appeared winded.

Stefan peered over her shoulder. "Where's Elena?"

"She went to the hospital with Jeremy," Bonnie replied, studiously ignoring the way Damon was staring at her.

Stefan stiffened and looked at Damon, who waved him away.

"Go," Damon told him. "I'll stay here and see what I can find out."

Stefan nodded once at Bonnie and turned. He jumped off the porch, neatly landing on the balls of his feet. He blurred into the darkness, making use of his enhanced speed.

Bonnie finally met Damon's gaze. She was surprised by the intensity in it. His pale blue eyes seemed to be glowing in the inky darkness.

"What do you know?" he finally asked her, leaning against the doorframe.

"Not much," she replied after a beat. Her eyes moved across him, assessing. The black t-shirt and jeans seemed to be an everyday staple of his wardrobe. Her gaze lingered on the way the muscles in his forearm flexed when he hooked a thumb in the pocket of his jeans.

"Where's Jenna?"

"Talking to the deputies in the kitchen."

"Have you …" Damon frowned. "Did you see John yet?"

"No," she admitted. "I got here as Elena started screaming." She shuddered, remembering the way Elena's desperate cries had shattered the night. She could remember the night she found Grams unconscious. The night they freed all the vampire locked in the tomb.

The night she freed Damon.

Her spine went rigid at the memory and she turned, heading into the kitchen. She knew without looking at he was following. She could feel him moving silently behind her. Jenna and the deputies had moved into the parlor and were talking in hushed tones, but she kept moving.

Bonnie stopped short at the doorway to the kitchen, the rusty smell of blood assaulting her senses as her eyes moved across the crimson splatters on the tiled floor and white cabinets. She braced her hands against the doorframe for support, sucking in a sharp gasp. She had never expected … _this_.

John's body was slumped against the far cabinets, his mouth frozen open in a scream of horror. His throat had been ripped open. The fingers of his left hand were missing. No, wait. Not missing. They were on the countertop.

_Oh, God._

Her stomach roiled and she started to back away, only to hit something firm and immoveable. She clamped her eyes shut and felt her knees start to buckle.

Hands settled on her waist, holding her upright. Damon lowered his mouth to her ear. "Easy," he admonished in a tone that could only be described as gentle.

She turned her head and opened her eyes, stunned to see his face so close to hers. God, had his eyes always been that blue? Unnerved, she swallowed hard.

"I'm fine," she told him, forcing her voice to be firm. She stepped away from him, watching as his hands fell back to his sides.

The corner of his mouth hooked up in a smirk. "Sure you are." Shaking his head, he brushed past her and moved into the kitchen, studying everything. He knelt in front of John, taking care not to step in the blood.

"What are you _doing_?" she hissed, edging further into the room. She wrapped her arms around her waist, shivering.

He glanced over his shoulder at her. "Trying to figure out who did this."

"Oh, you mean it wasn't you?" Bonnie asked archly, snorting.

His jaw tightened as he stared up at her.

Now she smirked at him. "I thought you were the big bad vampire in this town, Damon."

He stood up fluidly, crossing the room to her in two strides. His eyes flashed with anger and impatience. "Do you want to say that a little louder? I don't think the cops out there heard you."

She rolled her eyes and sighed, shaking her head. "If it wasn't you, then who did this?"

His eyes narrowed and he pressed his lips together. "That's what I'm trying to—" He cut himself off as his eyes found something of interest behind her. He moved around her quickly, walking to the kitchen table where a black garment bag had been draped over one chair.

"What?" Bonnie pressed, curiosity getting the better of her. She watched as he slowly unzipped the bag. Frowning, she came up behind him. "Why are you so concerned about Elena's dress?"

"Because this is _Elena's_ dress." He dropped the bag suddenly, stepping back. He looked wildly around the room, eyes wide.

"Right," she said slowly, not catching on. "It's Elena's dress. The one she wore in the parade."

He spun on her, grabbing her forearms in his hands. His fingers overlapped. Something in his expression kept her from moving and breaking free.

"Stefan said Elena couldn't find her dress. That she was late coming home because it was missing."

"So someone brought her dress home?" Bonnie finished, guessing.

"I saw Elena outside with _this_ bag," he hissed, his grip tightening, but not painful. "She was coming inside and had this _with_ her."

"But if Elena had the bag, then why would—"

Damon cut her off. "It wasn't Elena."

She frowned, perplexed. "But you said that…" Her eyes went wide and she gasped. "Oh, my God."

Damon released her, stalking to the window. He raked his fingers through his hair. How the hell had he not noticed? He could practically hear the wheels turning in Bonnie's head as she put the pieces together.

"She's back, isn't she?" Bonnie finally said, her voice cold and detached. "Katherine's back."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Aren't you supposed to be able to, I don't know, _sense_ other vampires?" Bonnie asked quietly. She was standing in the hallway with Damon as the county coroner cleaned up the mess in the kitchen. Forensics had been gathered and Jenna had been released to go be with Jeremy at the hospital. Bonnie had offered to stay behind and make sure the house was locked up. Damon had taken it upon himself to stay as well.

He cut her a withering look. "It doesn't work that way."

"No?" she pressed, genuinely curious now.

Damon leaned against the opposite wall. "If a vampire has just … fed, their body gets warmer. Makes them appear more human. That's partly how she was able to get past me."

"OK, even if you didn't know she was a _vampire_," Bonnie went on, lowering her voice as the coroner came past with the stretcher. She waited for him to leave through the front door before continuing. "How did you not know it was Katherine? Haven't you been obsessed with her for over a decade?"

He stiffened, glaring. "Your point?"

She shrugged. "I dated one of the Berelli twins last year. They're identical, but I could still tell them apart."

He snorted and smiled, amused.

She arched an eyebrow. "It's funny that I can tell the guy I was dating from his brother?"

"Oh no," he said, grinning. "I'm amused by the fact that you _dated_ at all."

She flushed and looked away, embarrassed. Score one for Damon.

"Oh, come on, Bonnie," he went on, cajoling. He moved across the hall and leaned against the same wall she did, letting their shoulders brush. He leaned down towards her. "I just meant that you aren't like Caroline. Or Elena. You're more…"

"More what?" she demanded, her eyes flashing as she looked at him.

"Serious?" he offered, still smiling.

"Serious," she repeated, the single word dripping with disdain.

"Well maybe _serious_ is the wrong word," he mused softly, ignoring her glares. "I mean, you did date that Ben guy. But didn't he turn out to be a vampire who kidnapped you and Elena?" He made a pitying face.

Bonnie stared at him for a second longer and then stalked out the door. "You're such an ass."

She made it down the front steps before he caught up with her. He grabbed her arm and turned her around. The only thing keeping her from throwing him into another tree were the two officers at the bottom of the driveway. She didn't need any witnesses.

"Get off me," she hissed, trying to jerk away.

Damon held on tighter, leaning towards her once more. "Did I hit a nerve?"

Her gaze cut to where the two deputies had just gotten into their cars. Their lights shut off and they started to drive away. She looked back at him. "I swear if you don't let me go I'll set you on fire."

He winced and reluctantly let her go. "Just calm down, OK?"

"You know what, Damon? I'm going to the hospital to see if Elena needs me. I don't have time to stick around and trade insults." She turned to leave.

Sighing, he moved with blurring speed to stand in front of her. He held up his hands up, surrendering. "I think we need to talk about this."

Her jaw dropped open, amazed. "Talk about _what_? You and I have nothing to—"

"Katherine."

She shook her head and looked away, her jaw set. "No. No way. Your psycho ex-girlfriend is your problem, not mine."

"She's everyone's problem," he reminded her, his tone hard. "Katherine killed John Gilbert in Elena's home. She made me think she was Elena. And do you really think she hasn't noticed you?"

Bonnie frowned. "Me? What do I have to do with this?"

"Emily was Katherine's best friend. Not to mention Katherine loved having a witch in her back pocket. And from what I've seen in the last few weeks, you could give Emily a run for her money. I wouldn't doubt it's too long before Katherine comes to you."

Her hands balled into fists. "When will you vampire get it—I don't want a thing to do with _any_ of you."

Any trace of humor vanished suddenly from his face. "You don't exactly get a choice in this."

She tossed her hair over her shoulders and set her jaw in a hard line. "I can handle Katherine."

"Honey," he started with a slow smile, "no one can handle Katherine. It's part of her charm."

"Well I'm not charmed. And don't call me honey," she added as an afterthought. "Katherine's crazy if—"

Damon crossed the distance between them before she could finish the sentence or catch a breath. His hand closed over her mouth, his other hand moving to the small of her back and pressed her against him. His touch was surprisingly gentle.

"You need to shut up," he warned softly, lowering his mouth until his lips brushed the shell of her ear.

Bonnie shivered, her hands instinctively closing around the soft fabric of his t-shirt. She could feel the firm muscles of his stomach pressed against her knuckles.

"Katherine could be watching and _listening_ right now," he went on quietly, still holding her. "The last thing you want is her thinking that you're challenging her."

His words rang true and she nodded against his hand after a moment. He was right. She wanted to stay under the radar—no tangle with a centuries old vampire.

Damon pulled back and removed his hand, but stayed close to her. He kept his palm against her back, unable to help but notice how his thumb and index finger had moved under her shirt and were pressed to the soft skin there. She was so _warm._ And this close, he could feel the Power radiating off her in waves.

He pulled in a long, ragged breath and forced himself to step back before he was nuzzling her neck. He could see the way her throat moved as she swallowed hard.

"I should call Elena," Bonnie whispered after a moment.

Damon nodded and took another two steps back. Distance was a necessity right now. He needed to clear his head and that was becoming more and more difficult the more he was around her.

He was so preoccupied trying to settle himself that he barely noticed when she ended her conversation with Elena. He blinked and looked over at her, taking in the sag of her shoulders and the way her back was arched.

She was exhausted.

"What did Elena say?"

Bonnie looked up as if she was startled he was still there. She took a slow step towards him, slipping her phone back into her front pocket. "The doctors are running tests on Jeremy. I told her I'd come to the hospital."

He nodded slowly. "I'll come with you."

"I have to admit I'm surprised you care that much about Jeremy. Or is this about Elena and your little infatuation with your brother's girlfriend?"

He let the barb slide, suddenly drained himself. "Stefan's there. He needs to know Katherine's back in town."

Bonnie glanced around the street. "I take it you didn't drive?"

A smile ghosted his lips. "No. I ran here."

She hesitated a second, but then shrugged and started walking towards her car. "Come on. I'll give you a ride."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Bonnie's eyes went wide as they stepped through the emergency room's sliding doors. She hesitated, unsure of the absolute chaos before her. Orderlies, nurses, and doctors shoved their way between patients in varying stages of injury. Almost every chair in the waiting room was occupied. It was like a disaster had been unleashed all across Mystic Falls.

"What the hell?" Damon muttered behind her, his eyes sweeping across the room.

Sighing, Bonnie moved towards the triage desk and waited while the nurse ended a phone conversation. Damon, apparently not in a waiting mood, leaned around her and tapped a finger against the receiver, ending the call abruptly.

The nurse's eyes went wide, flustered, as she came out of her seat in a huff. "I don't know who the hell—"

Bonnie watched as Damon locked eyes with her and her jaw went slack.

"Jeremy Gilbert. Where is he?"

The nurse blinked slowly. "Cubicle five. But only family is allowed back."

He flashed her a brilliantly white smile. "But we _are_ family."

Bonnie rolled her eyes, but didn't intervene. She tapped her nails against the desk, watching as the nurse buzzed them in, unlocking the heavy doors at behind her station. She followed Damon through them, grabbing the tail of his shirt as he quickened his pace.

"Do you know where we're even going?" she hissed.

Distracted and annoyed, he started to turn the same instant a nurse carrying several vials rounded the corner. Bonnie watched as they collided, wincing as Damon never moved while the petite woman staggered back, dropping her test tubes. The glass shattered against the tiles, spilling the red liquid across the floor.

Blood.

Bonnie took a second to glare at Damon before reaching over to steady the woman. "I'm sorry. Are you all right?"

She nodded quickly, her eyes widening at the mess on the floor. "Shit," she swore softly. She started to look for an orderly to clean up the mess when she froze. "Hey, are you OK?"

Bonnie turned sharply in time to see Damon twisted away, deep veins darkening the translucent skin under his eyes. The muscles in his back were stiff and rigid as he struggled to control the impulses and urges the blood envoked.

The nurse started to move around her. "Sir, your eyes—"

"He has allergies," Bonnie said quickly, stepping between them with a shrug. "I keep trying to make him take some Claritin, but he never listens. It's all this pollen. Makes his eyes swell up and get red."

"Oh," she said slowly, nodding.

"We're actually looking for cubicle five, but we're not sure where it is."

"Take a left at the end of the hall."

"Thanks," Bonnie said, smiling. She reached for Damon's arm, leading him away. "Let's go."

"Nice save," he muttered when they were out of earshot of the nurse.

"It would be even better if you could control yourself," she snapped, turning the corner. He didn't reply, but she could practically hear his teeth grinding. She could see the cubicles ahead now and lengthened her stride.

"Bonnie."

She stopped short and Damon nearly collided with her. They both turned in unison to see Stefan emerging from a private room with the curtains drawn. His brow was furrowed, and the frown only deepened when he saw her with Damon.

"How's Jeremy?" Bonnie asked, folding her arms across her chest.

His expression darkened even further and he motioned them away from the room. The followed him back around the corner.

"The doctors say he overdosed on a bottle of painkillers Elena had in the bathroom," Stefan began slowly. "They pumped his stomach and have him sedated, but that's not the problem."

Bonnie shifted, uneasy. "Then what _is_ the problem?"

"He's transitioning."

"What?" Damon hissed, his eyes blazing. "Who—"

"Anna," Stefan said simply. "She must have…" He shrugged and looked away.

"Wait, wait," Bonnie cut in, confused. "Transitioning?"

"Into a vampire. He must have had Anna's blood in his system when he overdosed," Damon retorted bitterly. He looked at his younger brother. "How's Elena? Does she know?"

"I told her," Stefan said quietly. "She's taking it better than I expected. The problem is Jenna and the doctors. I don't know how to keep this under the radar."

Damon snorted and leaned against the wall, rolling his eyes to the ceiling. "Well isn't this the night that keeps on giving?"

"Poor Elena," Bonnie muttered, shaking her head. She sighed loudly. "So what now? How do we contain this?"

"We keep him from feeding in the hospital," Stefan said, "but if he doesn't feed soon…"

"He'll die permanently," Damon finished, clearly frustrated and furious.

"Any idea how soon they can get him discharged?" Bonnie asked suddenly.

"Mandatory seventy-two hour psych hold for all suicide attempts," Stefan pointed out, rubbing his jaw thoughtfully. "And after the year Jeremy's already had, Jenna's considering sending him to an out-of-state rehab center before he's released."

"Getting him _out_ of the hospital isn't the issue," Damon said darkly. "What the hell do we do with him once he's out? Let him turn?"

"The alternative is letting him die," Stefan reminded him.

"Either way," Bonnie cut in brusquely, "he _dies_."

Damon stared at her and then nodded once, seeing her point. "She's right. Either way Jeremy's dead."

"But if he was turned," Bonnie reasoned softly, "it might not be as hard on Elena."

They both stared at her, dumbfounded and silent.

She set her jaw and stared down the hallway, not meeting their eyes. "Elena has lost so much. I don't know if she could handle losing her brother, too."

"So, you're suddenly approving of turning Jeremy into one of us?" Damon pressed, his lips twisting into a mocking smirk.

She shook her head and shrugged. "I'm not seeing where we have much of a choice at this point."

"Elena should decide," Stefan said, sighing. "It's _her_ brother, after all."

"Fine," Damon agreed with a careless shrug. "We let Elena decide. I just wanted to make sure our friendly neighborhood witch wasn't going to try and burn him alive when he fed off someone to complete the transition."

Bonnie barely blinked as she shifted her gaze to him. "The only vampire I want to set on fire is you, Damon."

He clutched his heart, his jaw dropping in shock. "That hurts, Bonnie."

"What did you find out about John's death?" Stefan cut in sharply, trying to stop their bickering. He noticed as Bonnie and Damon exchanged uneasy glances, immediately making him stiffen in preparation.

"We think we know who killed him," Bonnie said softly.

"You _think_?" he repeated.

"It was Katherine," Damon answered coldly.

Stefan froze, his eyes slowly starting to widen as panic set in. "Katherine's here? In Mystic Falls?"

"We think Damon saw her at Elena's house," Bonnie continued.

Stefan frowned at his brother. "Why didn't you say you saw Katherine earlier?"

"Because I thought she was Elena. I didn't put it together until I you said Elena got held up at the school looking for her garment bag."

"What does that—"

"She had the bag with her when I saw her. It was inside the house, in the kitchen."

Stefan took a second to process that. "Why would Katherine come back here to kill John Gilbert?"

"Good question," Bonnie chimed in. "And why wait to kill him in Elena's house?"

"Shock value," Damon said, with a small smile. "Why kill someone where no one will find the body? Katherine likes inciting panic and hysteria."

"The more I hear about her," Bonnie grumbled, "the less I like. But I can see why you like her—being a psychotic bitch must be a big turn-on for you."

Damon's eyes narrowed.

"Do you think she'll come after Elena?" Stefan asked, clearly upset by the idea.

"Who knows?" Damon said, throwing his arms wide. "Katherine does whatever the hell she wants whenever the hell she wants. There's no way to guess why she's really here or what game she's playing."

"Unless we ask her," Bonnie said softly.

Stefan and Damon both stopped and looked at her.

"What did you say?" Stefan asked slowly.

"A summoning spell." Bonnie squared her shoulders and met his questioning gaze head-on. "I could do a spell to summon Katherine and find out what she wants."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"That's in interesting idea," Damon said softly, his eyes narrowing at the idea of summoning Katherine forward and questioning her. The idea appealed to him more than he would have liked. He had a lot of questions for her.

"I could try it," Bonnie said firmly, growing more confident by the second.

Stefan started to shake his head. "I don't know that summoning Katherine is such a great idea, Bonnie."

"Why not?"

Sighing, Damon pushed off the wall. "Stefan's right. Summoning her is a bad idea."

Her brow furrowed. "I thought you of all people would be behind this."

"Oh, believe me," Damon started with a slow smile, "I'm definitely looking forward to having a chat with Katherine, but now isn't the time."

Bonnie huffed, her lips pressing together tightly. She looked at Damon, waiting for an explanation.

"If we summon her now, then she knows that _we_ know she's here," Damon went on, giving Bonnie a pointed look. "Why tip our hand so soon? This is just getting started. I don't want her having any added advantages."

"So we act like we have no idea it was Katherine?" Stefan pressed, frowning.

"We let Katherine come to us," Damon finished with a smile, but his eyes stayed cold. "But we need to be ready for her."

"That's all well and good," Bonnie said, rolling her eyes, "but we can't sit back if she starts going on a killing spree. Stefan's right—what if she goes after Elena next?"

"I think I know of a way to protect Elena, but I may need your help," Damon said softly, looking at Bonnie.

She bit her lower lip and nodded slowly. "OK. Fine."

Damon glanced at Stefan. "Stay here and make sure Elena stays safe. Try to keep the doctors from asking too many questions, and find out what she wants to do about Jeremy."

Stefan nodded and turned, starting back down the hallway. He paused a few steps down and hesitated, turning back. His expression was unreadable. "You two be careful."

"Always, Stefan," Damon said brightly, with a grin. He threw an arm across Bonnie's shoulders and pulled her close. "Bonnie and I will be just fine together."

Bonnie glared up at him. "I mean it, Damon. I'm sure I could find a way to explain a sudden bonfire in the middle of the hospital."

"See? We'll be fine." Damon kept smiling at Stefan, who now looked even more dubious than before. Sighing, he kept walking back to Jeremy's room.

Damon dropped his arm and looked down at Bonnie. "Ready to go?"

She rubbed a hand over her face, wondering briefly what time it was. She was exhausted, and the night was showing no signs of being over any time soon.

"I guess. Where do you—" She stopped suddenly, something at the end of the hallway making her freeze.

Damon turned quickly, expecting the worst, and was mildly surprised to see Elizabeth Forbes leaning against a wall down the hallway. He frowned as her legs buckled and she sank to the floor.

"Sheriff Forbes?" Bonnie was already off and running down the hall to where her friend's mother had collapsed. Damon followed her.

Bonnie knelt down to eye level with the Sheriff. She touched her knee gently. "What's—"

"It's Caroline," Elizabeth said quietly, stricken. She lifted her face and looked at Damon and then Bonnie. "She was in an accident."

Bonnie stood up so quickly she got dizzy. Her heart pounded hard against her ribs. She sucked in a sharp breath. "What—Is she OK?"

Elizabeth started crying, lowering her face into her hands. "She's in a coma. There were internal injuries and she hit her head … Her brain started swelling. The doctors don't know if she'll wake up."

Bonnie's eyes went shut and she swayed, reaching out blindly to keep from collapsing herself. It was too much. Her hands closed around something firm and she leaned into it for support, her legs feeling like jelly. She opened her eyes and realized it was Damon's wrist she had latched onto, and it was his chest she leaned her back against. She immediately pulled herself up straight before glancing at him again.

She was more than stunned when she looked into his eyes. She expected to see something mocking and amused there, but he only looked concerned. There was no censure in his gaze, just sympathy. His hand went to the small of her back for a brief second, his touch comforting as he knelt before Sheriff Forbes.

"Is there anything we can do, Liz?" He reached out and touched her shoulder, his lips tight.

She shook her head and swallowed. "No." She sighed hard and looked intently into his eyes. "But we do need to talk about other things soon."

He nodded slowly, understanding. "OK. Bonnie and I actually need to get going."

Bonnie started to protest. "But—"

Damon straightened, his gaze piercing as he looked down at her. "We have other things we need to take care of," he reminded her gently. He lowered his voice further, stepping a bit closer. "There's nothing you can do for Caroline right now."

Bonnie's chin dropped to her chest for a second, feeling the crushing pain of realizing she may never see her friend again. The loss ate at her, carved out another notch in her heart. The idea of losing Caroline was almost as unbearable as losing Grams. She had lost too much. She couldn't afford to lose anyone else she loved.

"Bonnie," Damon said quietly, touching her arm.

She opened her eyes and looked up at him, slightly thrown by the worry in his eyes. She clenched her jaw and nodded, watching as his eyes softened for a second. The pale blue irises shimmered in the fluorescent lighting.

"Let's go," she said firmly.

He nodded once at her and followed her out of the hospital.

"What did they say?" Elena asked wearily as soon as Jenna excused herself to go to the bathroom. She looked over at Stefan, and he was suddenly struck by how young she looked. How innocent and vulnerable she seemed as she kept vigil at Jeremy's bedside.

Katherine had been Elena's age when she was turned, thus making them identical in appearance, but there was a softness and kindness to Elena's eyes that hadn't been in Katherine's. It was those eyes that let him differentiate between the two initially.

He leaned forward, bracing his forearms on his knees and turning his head to look at her. "They think Katherine killed John."

Elena's chest spasmed as she choked out a laugh, but then it kept going and she couldn't stop. She was nearly hysterical.

Stefan started to panic, sitting up straighter. He reached out and touched her knee. "Elena—"

She pressed a hand to her chest. "I'm sorry. It's just … Of course. Of course it's Katherine. When _isn't_ it about Katherine?"

He took her hand in his, smoothing his thumb over the soft skin. "Damon and Bonnie are working on a way to keep you safe."

"Damon and _Bonnie_ are working together?" she said skeptically. Her eyebrows arched.

"Surprisingly, yes," he admitted with a rueful smile. "Although I think Bonnie may burn him alive before it's all said and done."

A smile ghosted across her lips. "Did she say that?"

He nodded, squeezing her hand. He sobered suddenly. "But we need to talk about what you want to do about Jeremy."

Elena's shoulders sagged, the weight of the world back upon them. She turned to gaze to her little brother, sleeping peacefully in the bed. Her eyes slid shut. "I can't lose him, Stefan. I _can't_."

He cleared his throat and leaned closer to her, lowering his voice. "So you want—"

"He wanted this. He wanted to turn," Elena said softly, reaching out and stroking the back of Jeremy's hand. "Let him turn."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

When she was a little girl, Bonnie had ridden by the Salvatore Manor countless times. She had sat on her bicycle and stared up at the towering roofs and stained glass windows and she would imagine what it would be like to live there. She imaged being a princess, having three rooms just to herself and countless servants to wait and dote on her. It was more fun to envision her bedroom inside that foreign mansion than to go back and live in the tiny two-bedroom rancher she shared with her father, mother, and older sister.

As she followed Damon inside, she realized she had never considered the darkness housed in these walls. The dark paneled rooms, thick carpets, and imported rugs in one room probably cost more than all the furniture in her house combined.

Damon led her into the living room, glancing back over his shoulder at her. "How much do you know about protection spells?"

"Enough," she replied evasively, trailing a finger across the back of the richly upholstered leather sofa. All the wood surfaces gleamed from the overhead lights, and she wondered if they had a maid service come in and clean regularly. Somehow she couldn't picture Damon brandishing a feather duster to reach the high shelves of the built-in bookcases that lined the walls.

Damon's jaw clenched and he glared at her, annoyed. "Look, I get that you don't like me very much, but if you can't handle this then I need to know now."

She blinked once, looking at him. "I can handle this."

He smirked, his expression mocking her. "Good."

She sighed and sat on the arm of the couch, crossing her legs. "So what are you thinking? A protection spell for Elena's house? I can probably charm a few things, too."

"John Gilbert had a ring, so does Alaric Saltzman. Both are charmed to protect the wearer from harm. I broke John Gilbert's neck and it did nothing," Damon muttered darkly. He needed a drink. He glanced at the wet bar, more specifically at the built-in refrigerator underneath it that had several bags of O-positive from the local blood bank.

He briefly wondered what Bonnie would do if he opened one and started drinking it. The idea of her reaction brought a devilish smile to his lips.

She considered what he said for a moment. "I think Emily's grimoire mentioned something of a spell like that. I can't exactly remember it, though."

"Where's the book?"

"My house."

"We're going to need it," he said, nodding. He went to the bar and poured a single-malt scotch into a glass tumbler. As an afterthought, he extended the glass to her. "Drink?"

She smirked. "No, thanks."

He swallowed the amber liquid at once, grimacing at the burn. He gave her an indulgent smirk. "That's right. I forgot you're still a kid."

"Actually, I just don't like scotch," she answered, her voice smooth as silk. She titled her head and gave him an amused smile, arching a single brow. "I'm more of a tequila girl."

He considered saying something back, but instead just chuckled and nodded at her. She never ceased to surprise him, a trait he could appreciate after over a century of living. He set the glass back on the bar.

"How many things are we talking about charming?" Bonnie rolled her neck, stretching the muscles as the clock in the hall chimed the hour.

Two in the morning. No wonder she was so tired.

"Depends on how many people we need to protect," he pointed out, making another drink. This time he reached into the refrigerator below and pulled out a bottle of water. He tossed it to her.

"Elena. Jeremy and Jenna," Bonnie started counting off. She unscrewed the cap and took a long drink. "You know Katherine—who do you think she'll come after?"

Damon hesitated. "It's a toss-up."

"Between?"

"Elena," he said obviously, "and … _you_."

She rolled her eyes. "I really think you're giving me too much credit."

"And you aren't giving yourself enough," Damon cut in, his voice lethal and detached. "I can't remember I saw a witch with Power like you have. Trust me—Katherine knows who you are. It won't be long before she comes knocking on your door."

Bonnie swallowed more water, trying to hide how nervous she suddenly was. She wrapped her hands around the base of the bottle to keep them from shaking. "Do you think she'll come after my family?"

"Yes." He didn't bat an eye. He leaned against the bar, his gaze unflinching, his tone brutally honest. "She wouldn't hesitate to kill them if she thought it would help her control you."

Rage burned in her chest and she ground her teeth together. "I've never met her, and I _hate_ her."

"Join the club," Damon snorted with a smirk. He drained the rest of his drink.

"Didn't seem like you hated her when you were doing everything in your power to get me and Grams to open the tomb and set her free," Bonnie pointed out bitterly.

He looked away, a muscle in his jaw moving. "I'm sorry about your grandmother. I never meant what happened—"

She held up a hand, stopping him. Barely masked pain churned in her emerald eyes. "I can't … I don't want to talk about her. Not with you."

"Fair enough."He watched her face as she struggled to keep her composure. The death of her grandmother was still raw. He had forgotten the intense grief that could consume a person when they lost someone they truly loved.

"I need to know now where you stand on this," Bonnie said suddenly.

He frowned, confused. "I don't—"

"Katherine," she cut in. "I need to know that when Katherine shows up you aren't going to turn on all of us to be with her again."

Her tone never wavered, but he could see the unease deep in her eyes. He decided to tell her the truth: "I don't want to be with Katherine."

"No?" She arched an eyebrow. "You spent the better part of the last hundred and fifty years chasing after her, but you've decided in the last few weeks she just isn't worth the hassle anymore?"

"She _lied_ to me. We could have been together for the last…" His hands clenched into fists of their own accord as he felt the anger beginning to swell in his chest. "She knew all this time where I was. She _manipulated_ me. I was game to her." His expression darkened even more. "I don't _like_ that very much."

"Fair enough," she said, repeating his earlier words. She slipped off the edge of the couch and walked towards him. "But if you decide at the last minute that you want to be with her and you try to hurt someone I care about?"

He smiled down at her. "You'll set me one fire?"

"I'll make you _wish_ I only set you on fire," she warned, her tone saccharine sweet.

He tapped the tip of her nose with his index finger and stepped around her. "We need to get started."

"There's just a small … problem," Bonnie said after a moment, her voice unsure.

"Just one problem?" He turned and waited for her to explain.

"All these charms and spells … I don't know that I can handle it," she admitted, looking away as she divulged her weakness. "That my _body_ can handle it. I'm still fairly new at magic. Too much, too quick wears me out."

He studied her for a moment. "You need more Power."

If I had a week to get all this done, I'm sure I'd be fine," she went on. "But I'm assuming we're working on a deadline, right?"

"The sooner the better," he agreed. "I was hoping you could get most of them done tonight."

Just thinking about it made her body sag. No way could she handle that much, not with the spell she had done earlier to help Stefan save Damon. Each spell required she expend part of her own energy, her own essence, to make it work. That much would wipe her out. It was one thing Gram had constantly warned her about—overexerting her powers.

Damon pressed his lips together, his eyes narrowing. "I know of a way to help you, but I don't think you'll like it very much."

She folded her arms under her chest and braced herself. "What?"

"A blood exchange."

Her mouth went dry. She couldn't form a coherent thought. "A … a what?"

"Blood exchange," he repeated softly. He motioned between them. "If we exchanged blood it would give you all the Power you needed."

**Author's Note:** _I cannot express my thanks and gratitude for all the awesome replies you guys have thrown my way. I never, ever expected this fic to be received in such a positive way. Your feedback inspires me to keep writing. Thanks! ~Iz_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"No. No way in _hell_, Damon," Bonnie hissed, starting for the front door.

She was furious, mostly at herself. Of course it all came down to blood with him. She was a fool to think that Damon could ever think about anything but his own bloodlust. She was nearly to the door when he appeared in front of her, his expression patronizing and annoyed.

"Would you just stop and listen?" he demanded, blocking her. He raised his hands like he was going to physically stop her, but thought better of it and let his arms falls back at his sides.

"Get out of my way," she ordered, unnerved by how close he was to her now. She watched his tongue sneak out to wet his lips before he sighed.

"Calm down, OK? Just … relax and listen to me."

"I'm not doing some … _blood_ exchange with you, Damon," she snapped, taking a step back to put distance between them. She could feel her heart pounding inside her chest. Why had she thought coming to a vampire's house alone was a good idea? She could feel her body tensing, waiting for an imminent fight.

He made a face, as if reading her mind. "I'm not going to hurt you, Bonnie."

"Said the vampire to the human," she quipped, trying to steady her nerves.

"Just … come sit down and let me explain," he said, his tone gentle. He held his hands up. "I promise, I won't touch you."

She was still hesitating, watching him with wary eyes.

"Please?" he asked finally, exasperated. His eyebrows raised expectantly.

She pressed her lips together and nodded slowly, turning and walking back into the family room. She took a seat on the couch, watching as he sat on the other end. She leaned her back against the arm and drew her legs up, hugging her knees to her chest and not exactly caring if the mud of her shoes stained the leather.

Damon draped an arm across the back of the couch and studied her for a second. "Sometimes I forget how young you really are."

Her back stiffened. "I'm not going to sit here while you insult—"

"Can I finish?" he interrupted, his blue eyes piercing her.

The words died in her throat and she nodded slowly.

"You're still new at being a witch, and I'm sure there's a bunch about your Powers you don't know or understand. I've been around enough witches to know that the type of Power you have, the natural abilities you seem to have, takes most years to learn."

She didn't know what to say. It almost sounded like he was complimenting her.

"How much do you know about vampires?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Not much. Emily mentioned them in her grimoire, but never went into detail. And Grams … she knew the basics."

A slow smile started on his lips. "The basics?"

She titled her head at an angle. "How to kill them."

He swallowed and flinched. He deserved that. "The more … human blood we take, the more powerful we get. Our Power is similar to a witch's, but … different."

Her frowned matched his. She was still confused. "OK."

"We can't do spells or summon the elements the way you can. Our Power is basic parlor tricks, nothing elaborate or fancy. But it's Power all the same. Blood is life to a vampire," he told her, his tone surprisingly serious. "Blood is how we survive, so our blood is—"

"—Powerful," she finished for him. "OK. I get that. But why—"

"Us exchanging blood would enable you to …" He paused and sighed, seemingly unhappy to be revealing all of this. "You would be able to draw off my Power. It would enhance your own."

"And I wouldn't be so drained when I finished spells," she surmised thoughtfully.

His brows lifted. "See? I told you this wasn't a bad idea."

"Would you be able to draw off my Power?" she asked suddenly, her gaze intense.

He shifted, uneasy. "Not the way you think. A witch's blood is more … potent than a normal human's. So, yes, I might get a few added side effects, but I couldn't draw Power from you once I stopped feeding."

She flinched at that word. _Feeding_. It sounded so primitive. "But why do you have to feed off of me?"

"It establishes a link. Part of you in me, part of me in you. It makes the connection stronger."

"So you've done this before then?"

Half his mouth curved up, his gaze went distant as he remembered. "Once. It was years ago."

"With Emily?" Bonnie asked after a second.

He shook his head. "No. Never with Emily, or any of the Bennett line."

"You mean until you attacked me in the woods?"

He flinched. "That was … _different._ And I did apologize for that."

She rolled her eyes and looked away.

"It wouldn't be like before," he said after a long pause. "And I won't force you."

Bonnie took a few steadying breaths, contemplating the offer. There was no easy answer to what he was proposing. "I don't … I don't know."

He nodded slowly. "Think about it. But it _is_ an option."

"You really care that much about protecting Elena?" she pressed, resting her chin on her knees and stifling a yawn.

His expression was serious as he answered her. "I like the life I have here. I don't want to change it right now. Elena has become a … friend."

Now Bonnie smirked. "A friend? You think of her as only a friend?"

"She makes me feel human," he answered, somewhat uncomfortable. "I'd forgotten what that felt like."

She gave him a sad smile. "Sucks, doesn't it?"

He chuckled. "Human life does seem more complicated than life as a vampire. Too many emotions."

"Stupid humans," Bonnie muttered, giving in to a yawn.

His lips twisted into a half-smile. "Stupid humans," he agreed. He watched her a second longer, taking in the way her eyelids were beginning to droop. "Why don't I drive you home?"

Her eyes opened then as she tried to force herself awake. "No. I can drive myself."

"Can't have you falling asleep and getting into an accident," he chided, getting up.

Her eyes slid shut as she let his words sink in. "Caroline. I wonder how she is."

Damon stood over her. "If something happened, her mother would have called you, right? Maybe she's fine."

Bonnie shook her head, spearing her fingers through her hair. "I can't lose anyone else I love."

"There's nothing you can do for her," he pointed out unnecessarily.

Her eyes narrowed as she glared up at him. "Don't you think I know that?"

He knelt before her. "Then worry about what you _can_ control. Tomorrow you need to start getting things ready for when Katherine finally decides to show up."

"Not tonight?" she asked, her tone acidic.

"Tonight you need sleep," he told her firmly. "Stefan is with Elena, Jenna, and Jeremy at the hospital, and I doubt Katherine would try anything in public so soon. She won't want anyone to know she's here."

"Great. One night of peace," Bonnie mumbled, shaking her head.

Damon stood up and looked down at her, his expression unreadable. "You should go home. Let me get my keys and I'll drive you."

"What about my car?" she reminded him.

He rolled his eyes. "Fine. We'll take your car. I can run back."

She hesitated and listened. "Sounds like it started raining."

"You saying you care about me getting wet?" He grinned.

She frowned and rubbed her eyes. "I'm saying I'm tired and irrational and it's coming off as me giving a damn about you."

He snorted and rolled his eyes. "Right. Let me get my keys."

Damon ran up to his room and got the key to his Mustang from the table beside his bed. He turned and ran back down the stairs. He came into the living and stopped short in front of the couch.

"Unbelievable," he muttered, shaking his head.

Bonnie had fallen asleep.

* * *

"What happens after he turns?" Elena whispered, her eyes never leaving her brother's face. He looked so peaceful in his sleep. She rubbed her eyes, hoping Jenna came back soon with coffee. She needed caffeine if she was going to stay awake.

Stefan rubbed her back in slow, lazy circles. "I can teach him the ropes."

She turned her head to look at him, her hair falling in a silky curtain across her face. She pushed it aside. "I'm really glad you're here."

He smiled warmly at her, squeezing the muscles in her neck gently. "Where else would I be?"

Elena caught Stefan's hand in hers and brought it to her lips as Jenna came back in the room carrying a tray with three cups of coffee. She froze in the doorway, staring at Elena.

"Hey," she said finally, her voice strange.

"Hey," Elena repeated, her brow furrowing. "Everything OK?"

"I …" Jenna frowned and looked down the hall before swinging her gaze back to Elena and laughing softly. "I think I'm losing my mind."

A smile played on Elena's lips as she exchanged confused looks with Stefan. "What do you mean?"

Jenna handed them each a drink before sitting on the other side of Jeremy's bed and crossing her legs. "I could have sworn I just saw you downstairs near the vending machines."

Stefan went rigid, his dark eyes widening as he looked at Elena.

"But I've been here the whole time," Elena protested slowly, horror filling her eyes as she glanced back at her boyfriend.

Jenna smiled thinly, not noticing their sudden panic. "Then you must have a twin running around here."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

This wasn't her bed.

Bonnie's eyes opened slowly, squinting against the bright sunlight coming in from the bay window across the room. She looked down at the crimson sheets, her eyes moving across the framework of the rich mahogany four-poster bed. It was huge, massive even, and most definitely not her tiny twin bed in her room at home.

She sat up, looking further around the room. Bookcases lined the walls, which had been painted a cream color that contrasted starkly to the deep reds in the wood that accented the room. The bookshelves, desk and dresser had also been crafted from mahogany.

No, this definitely was _not_ her room.

Taking in an unsteady breath, she turned to get out of the bed when her heart nearly stopped.

Damon was reclining in a leather armchair in the corner beside the bed, his feet propped up on a lower shelf of a bookcase. He had removed the black leather jacket from earlier in the evening and was wearing a black v-neck shirt and jeans. His thick soled boots had been discarded by the door.

He was sound asleep.

Bonnie sat there for a moment, in the center of the king-sized bed, surrounded by down pillows and took a moment to really study him. He looked almost angelic while he slept. Almost human. His lips were full, hinting at a smile. His dark lashes dusted across his pale cheeks.

She sucked in a sharp breath and forced herself to look away before her thoughts got too carried away. Thinking of Damon as anything but a monster was futile.

Looking down at herself, she realized her shoes and jacket had been removed. She must have fallen asleep and Damon had brought her up here. The idea of being so open and vulnerable with the man she had sworn to hate gnawed at her insides. She had been foolish to drop her guard.

She slid from beneath the covers and down filled comforter until her feet touched the planks of the wooden floor. She moved silently across the floor, praying there weren't any weak spots that would creak and give her away. Her shoes had been placed beside his and she started to pull them on slowly.

"Going somewhere?"

His voice startled her and she gasped, trying to turn while putting on a shoe. She started to lose her balance and would have landed in a heap at his feet had his hands not shot out with inhuman speed to catch her.

Damon smirked down at her, his hands on her bare arms. "Morning, sunshine."

Bonnie swallowed hard and finished putting on her shoe before stepping away from him. She smoothed a hand over her hair, wondering how out of control it really looked. "Morning," she finally answered, her voice scratchy.

He folded his arms across his chest, the muscles in his forearms flexing and rolling. He cocked his head to the side, watching her. "I'd offer you something to eat, but I think your definition of breakfast might be different from mine."

Her eyes narrowed. "Funny, Damon."

"I'm a funny guy," he said with a smug grin. After another second of watching her, he turned away. He retrieved her jacket from the back of his closet door and handed it to her.

Bonnie's hand closed over it, her fingers brushing his. She jerked her arm away. "Um, thanks." She glanced back at the bed. "I didn't mean to …"

He shrugged. "Whatever. I think we should meet up later at Elena's. You can go home and get Emily's grimoire. We can get started this afternoon." He turned back around.

She nodded quickly, relieved he wasn't dwelling on the fact she had clearly spent the night in his bed. The intimacy of the situation churned inside her, making her stomach clench with unease. She felt oddly exposed and hugged her jacket to her chest.

"Right. I'll meet you at Elena's … later," she finished weakly, her eyes going wide as he stripped off his shirt, tossing it into the corner of the room.

_Oh, God,_ she thought, trying to force her eyes on his face. She had known he was good-looking. Anyone could see that, but seeing _this_ … Every muscle in his chest and stomach was perfectly outlined, perfectly defined. She tried to force her pulse to slow down, praying her wouldn't notice the way her heart was hammering in her chest.

He seemed distracted, though. "I need a shower. I'm assuming you can find your own way out?"

Bonnie nodded quickly, already backing out the door. She smiled thinly and turned, heading for the stairs and the front door as fast as her feet would carry her.

* * *

Five hours and three spells later, Bonnie was on the brink of passing out.

"I think you need a break," Elena said, her tone worried as she leaned over the edge of the bed to peer down at Bonnie. She and Stefan had met Bonnie and Damon at her house over an hour earlier while Jenna sat with Jeremy. The teen had been sedated heavily and Stefan assured Elena he wouldn't be waking up anytime soon.

Bonnie had first blessed the house and put a protection spell around it to ward off evil and violence. Then she had gone into Elena's room and had begun charming different items to protect against evil as well. She had formed a circle on the floor and lit two candles, one red and one white, before beginning to chant.

Thus far she had managed to spell the locket Elena always wore and Jenna's favorite bracelet. Sitting Indian-style she tucked her chin to her chest, exhausted once more.

"I just … need a second," she said softly, trying to catch her breath.

Elena's frown deepened and she leaned against Stefan who had sat beside her on the bed. Damon pushed off the wall and crossed the room to her, bending to pick up the two candles.

"You're done," he announced, starting to put her things away. He reached for Emily's grimoire when her hand shot out and latched around his wrist.

"I can _do_ this," Bonnie insisted, her green eyes fierce.

Damon crouched down to eye level. "You've already done a lot. You need a break before you wear yourself completely out and you're no good to any of us."

"Damon's right," Elena chimed in. "Rest, Bonnie."

She leaned back on her hands, still staring at Damon. She set her jaw and finally sighed, looking away. He collected the rest of the items and shoved them into the backpack she had brought over.

Elena sighed, relieved. "We should get back to the hospital soon. I can take over watching Jeremy so Jenna can come home and shower. I don't want her around when we—"

"Steal Jeremy?" Damon quipped, going back to leaning against the wall.

Stefan glared at his brother. "We'll get Jeremy out tonight."

"And take him where exactly?" Bonnie spoke up.

"There's a cabin out by the quarry we know," Stefan said softly, looking briefly at Damon. "We'll take him there. It's far enough away from town that he won't be seen."

"And you're just telling people he ran away?" Bonnie pressed, her eyebrows raised.

"It makes the most sense," Stefan replied.

Elena leaned forward. "Uncle John is dead, Vicky's dead, and Anna's gone. It makes … _sense_ that Jeremy would take off." Her lips turned down, her pretty face unhappy.

"What about the feeding? Doesn't he have to…" Bonnie trailed off and shrugged.

Elena and Stefan exchanged uneasy glances.

"Yes," she finally answered slowly, looking away.

Bonnie frowned, confused, but Damon caught on faster. His lips twisted into a smug smirk. "Oh, how sweet."

"What?" Bonnie asked, looking back and forth between them. "What's sweet?"

"Elena's going to let Jeremy feed off _her_," Damon explained, his eyes focused on the girl in question.

Elena flushed and tucked her long hair behind her ears. "It's not like there's much of a choice. Besides, Stefan will be there and can stop him if he gets out of control."

"Is that safe?" Bonnie slowly started to stand, her legs a bit shaky. She looked down at her best friend. "What if Stefan can't stop him? Accidents happen."

Elena shrugged. "There is no other alternative. I can't let him feed off some innocent person."

Damon snorted. "Why not?"

Three sets of eyes glared at him.

He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "What? I'm just saying, you could let Jeremy drink a little and then compel them into thinking nothing happened. Simple."

"And immoral," Bonnie muttered.

His eyes cut to her. "You're gonna have to put the moral compass away if you want to survive what's coming, honey."

"Bonnie's right," Elena spoke up loudly, looking pointedly at them both. "I won't let Jeremy hurt someone else. This is my choice."

Damon made a face and looked to Stefan. "And you're OK with this?"

Stefan shrugged, but there was an underlying tension in his face. "It's her decision."

"Whatever," Damon muttered. "Are we done?"

"Why? Do you have somewhere to be?" Bonnie asked with a smirk.

"Actually, yes," he replied.

"We should get back to the hospital," Elena said, getting off the bed with Stefan. She walked over and hugged Bonnie. "Thank you."

Bonnie pressed the necklace and bracelet into her hand and smiled. "You're welcome."

Damon moved to the doorway and looked back. "I'll meet you two at the cabin later."

Stefan nodded and took Elena's hand.

Damon shifted his gaze to Bonnie and smiled broadly. "Oh, and Bonnie? If you're planning on spending the night again tonight, let me know." He winked. "I'll make sure I change the sheets this time." He turned and walked out.

Bonnie dropped her head in to her hands, silently cursing him as Elena and Stefan stared at her.

Elena found her voice first. "You spent the night … with Damon?"

Bonnie groaned and looked at them. "It isn't what you think."

Stefan smiled and shook his head. "With Damon it never is."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Bonnie parked her car along the street in front of the childhood home that she and her father now shared. A glance in the driveway proved he wasn't home yet. Not that she expected him to be. He usually came home long after the sun had set.

A dragging feeling of unease settled on her. She hated being alone. Now that Grams was gone, she had nowhere to go but home to an empty house almost every day.

Sighing, Bonnie got out the car, too exhausted to care that she was once again all alone. She stopped and grabbed the mail from the mailbox, flipping through it as she made her way up the driveway. More bills, more notices of bills. The small life she and her father had carved out after the divorce wasn't always the easiest, but her father insisted upon working long hours as a construction foreman so Bonnie didn't have to work. Her job was school, he had always insisted.

"Bonnie."

Startled, Bonnie turned and her face relaxed into a smile when she saw her best friend standing a few feet away. She took a step forward. "Elena, what are you—"

The words died in her throat. That definitely wasn't Elena.

Katherine gave her a dazzling smile, her hands tucked into the pockets of her leather jacket. "I think we should talk, Bonnie."

The mail fell from her hands, fluttering to the ground. She forced herself not to take a step back. "Katherine," she finally said, keeping her voice cool and neutral.

The grin grew even larger. It was staggering how much Katherine and Elena looked alike when they smiled that way.

Katherine came forward a bit. "You know who I am."

"Oh, I definitely know who you are," Bonnie said, setting her jaw. "Why are you here?"

Katherine tilted her head to one side, looking calmly at Bonnie. She didn't seem to have a single care in the world. "You know Emily Bennett was my best friend, right?"

"Of course I know that," Bonnie said, frowning. "She mentioned you a lot in her grimoire."

Katherine's eyes lit up, a slow grin spreading across her features. "So you _do_ have her book."

Bonnie wanted to kick herself. She shifted on her feet and nodded slowly. She mentally steeled herself, not wanting to give away any other information.

"You know, Bonnie, I think we could really help each other out."

"I really doubt that," Bonnie retorted, unable to keep the edge out of her voice.

Katherine's pretty lips turned down sadly. She shook her head, her dark curls bouncing. "This would be so much easier if you just agreed to help me. We both know you will. Emily did."

"Emily was deluded into thinking you were her friend," Bonnie snapped, hedging a step back. "I know you're not my friend."

"But we _could_ be friends," Katherine argued. Her eyes sparkled with delight. "Think of all the things we could do together, Bonnie. We would be unstoppable."

"What about Damon and Stefan? How do they figure into your plan?"

This made Katherine pause. After a beat she shrugged, once again carefree. "They were fun to play with, but they just fought too much. Can you imagine living with an eternity of _that_?" She made a disgusted face.

Bonnie blinked rapidly, trying to wrap her head around this. "So you faked your own death so that you didn't have to deal with them?"

Katherine rolled her eyes. "It was fun at first, sure. Do you know many girls would throw themselves at the feet of the Salvatore brothers? Every girl for a hundred miles wanted them … but they both only wanted _me_. And that was such fun. But then they were always fighting with each other. They were supposed to be spending all their time paying attention to _me_."

Bonnie's jaw dropped slightly. "Wow. Damon was right: you really are a self-centered bitch."

Katherine had surged forward before the sentence was finished, one small hand clamping painfully around Bonnie's throat. Her eyes darkened, the veins rising to the surface. She bared her fangs as she hissed at Bonnie.

"Don't presume to know me, Bonnie," she warned, her eyes black as night and just as ominous. She applied a little more pressure, smiling when Bonnie's hands scratched harmlessly at her hand. She threw Bonnie to the ground with a flick of her wrist.

Choking and gasping, Bonnie landed on her hands and knees by the oak tree in her front yard, a good six feet away. She looked up at Katherine through her bangs, furious. She could feel what was left of her Power swelling in her chest and she narrowed her eyes, focusing it on Katherine. She was too weak to summon fire, but she knew she could at least bring forth the high-pitched noise that had brought Stefan to his feet weeks earlier at the Miss Mystic Falls pageant.

Katherine's eyes went wide for a second and then she started laughing. She wagged a finger at Bonnie, unimpressed. "Now, now, Bonnie. Don't try your silly little witch tricks on me. Don't you know they won't work?"

The last of her energy expelled, Bonnie's head dropped in defeat. She wasn't strong enough. Humiliation burned inside her, flushing her cheeks.

Katherine cocked her head to one side, a brilliant smile lighting her face as the anger that had darkened it slid away. "We have company."

Bonnie was struggling to get to her feet when her father's truck pulled into the driveway. Her eyes widened and she felt real terror start to knot in her stomach. She was going to be sick.

Her dad got out of the truck and smiled. "Hey, sweetheart. Hi, Elena."

"Hi, Mr. Bennett!" Katherine called, tossing him a grin. She glanced back at Bonnie and winked. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," he replied, his face sobering with worry. "Elena, I heard about your uncle. I'm sorry."

Katherine's face was immediately a mask of sadness and hopelessness. She clasped her hands in front of her, sighing. "I know. It's a mess. And with Jeremy in the hospital…"

"If there's anything you need," he said with a shrug, "just let us know. If you need to a place to stay for a few days you're more than wel—"

"Dad!" Bonnie cut in sharply before he could complete the invitation. She could barely take a breath, and she knew Katherine could hear her heart hammering in her chest.

Katherine's lips twitched with a thinly concealed smile.

"What are you doing home?" Bonnie blurted out, eyes wide as she tried to make sense of the situation.

Mr. Bennett frowned, confused. "I told you I was going out of town for business tomorrow. The seminar is in San Francisco—"

"Right, right," Bonnie said, nodding quickly. So much had happened in the last forty-eight hours, she had completely forgotten her father had told her he was speaking at a seminar on construction safety and security practices in California that week. His flight was early in the morning and he had come home to pack. He was staying at a hotel near Washington Dulles International Airport that night.

Bonnie smiled weakly at him. "I'll be inside in a second, OK?"

He gave her a strange look, but nodded. "OK. Elena, good to see you again."

Katherine crossed the small distance to him and Bonnie watched in stunned horror as Katherine put her arms around him, hugging him. After a surprised beat, Mr. Bennett hugged her back.

"Thanks, Mr. Bennett," Katherine said when they parted. "I'm sure I'll be seeing you soon."

With another confused smile, he turned and headed inside. Once the door was shut, Bonnie sagged in relief.

"Your father seems nice," Katherine said thoughtfully, turning back to Bonnie. She examined her nails for a second.

Bonnie swallowed, her eyes pleading. "Katherine—"

"I'll kill him," Katherine said calmly, her eyes hard. "I'll rip his throat out and make you watch. And then I'll kill off all your little friends … Caroline, Matt … _Elena_."

Bonnie's eyes narrowed. "You would kill Elena?"

"As fun as it is to have a human doppelganger," Katherine started, her face twisted into a grimace, "she bores me. I simply do not see what Stefan and Damon see in her. I'm amazed she's even related to me."

"And how exactly did that work out?" Bonnie asked. "Stefan and Damon said they didn't know of any children you had when you were human."

"Elena's heritage doesn't matter," Katherine said coolly. "What matters is that I know you care for her. This will go a lot easier for you if you just agree to help me, Bonnie."

"Help you with _what_ exactly?"

Katherine started to smile again. "Kill the Salvatore brothers, of course."

* * *

**Author's Note:** _Again, I am overwhelmed by the response this fic has gotten. I cannot thank you for each and every single review that you guys have given me. That said, this fic will definitely have some NC-17 material, and I will not be posting that material here. Those chapters will be found only at my main site: **Evening On the Ground**. The link can be found on my profile page._


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Her hands were shaking as she lifted the ornate brass knocker. Her hand had barely closed around the heavy metal when it was wrenched out of her fingers as the door jerked open.

Damon frowned down at her, his eyes skeptical as his brows arched. "What are you doing here? I wasn't actually serious about you spending the night, you know."

"Let me in," Bonnie said softly, keeping her head down and sighing. The night weighed heavy on her shoulders, the darkness seeping deep into her soul. She felt a kinship to the black emptiness.

Damon leaned against the doorframe and smiled. "What's the magic word?" he teased in a singsong voice.

She raised her eyes, her voice wooden. "I saw Katherine."

The smug smile slid away and his eyes widened. His body went rigid as he leaned forward, his predatory eyes sweeping the front lawn for any signs of Katherine. Satisfied she wasn't around, he moved back from the doorway, letting her in wordlessly. Once she was inside, he shut the door behind her.

Bonnie walked down the hallway, heading for the formal living room on autopilot. She didn't stop until she reached the center of the room. Damon touched her elbow and she flinched away. He came around in front of her, hissing when he saw the bruises on her throat. His hands moved to touch her again, but he seemed to think better of it and stopped himself. Instead he crossed his arms over his chest.

Bonnie touched the marks absently. "That bad?"

"Katherine did that." It wasn't a question. He pressed his lips together, breathing hard through his nose. He raked a hand through his hair, frustrated.

Bonnie nodded. "She was waiting for me when I got home. For a second I thought she was Elena, but then …"

His eyes shut for a brief second. "Bonnie, I'm sorry. I didn't think she would come see you so soon. Katherine usually likes to … It doesn't matter."

Bonnie went to the couch and sat down hard, staring blankly at the fireplace. "I couldn't stop her. I _tried_, but she just …" She bent forward, burying her face in her hands.

Damon stayed where he was, unsure of how to respond. Emotional human teenagers were not something he was overly familiar with.

"My father was there," she said, defeated. Her voice was muffled through her fingers.

His eyes widened and he came around the couch, kneeling before her. "Did she—"

She shook her head, looking at him with worried emerald eyes. "But she made it clear she _could_. And she will. If I don't…"

"Don't what?" he pressed, eyes narrowed.

"She wants you dead. You and Stefan." She grimaced, the words leaving a sour taste in her mouth.

He flinched visibly. After a beat he let out a bitter laugh and shook his head. "Guess I shouldn't be surprised."

"She wants me to help her."

Damon stiffened. After a beat he gave her a sardonic smirk. "And you said no? I'm shocked. After everything—"

"It doesn't matter," Bonnie interrupted, balling her hands into fists. "I see that now. What happened before with you and me … I can't think about that now. What I need to do is stop her. She threatened to kill my father, my friends … I need to protect the people I love."

"Where's your dad now?" he asked suddenly.

"He had to go out of town for the rest of the week. He's spending the night at a hotel in D.C. He left an hour ago. His flight leaves for Los Angeles early tomorrow." She glanced at the watch on her wrist and laughed nervously. "Actually, in three hours. Thank _God_ for that."

He nodded slowly. "Good. At least he'll be gone."

"But that doesn't change anything _now_. I tried to hurt her, Damon," Bonnie told him, her tone broken and raw. "I gave it everything I had and it wasn't enough."

"Today was a hard day," he reminded her. "You used a lot of your Power and—"

"And how long until my Powers are at full strength? And even then, will me at full strength even be enough?"

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "Your abilities are more than I would have expected from someone so new at this, but Katherine has time on her side. The older the vampire, the stronger they are. Katherine has been feeding on human blood for centuries. There's no telling what type of Power she has."

"I'm never going to be stronger than her," Bonnie whispered, shaking her head. "I don't think I can stop her."

Damon's eyes narrowed as he watched her, realizing she was seconds away from a full-on breakdown. He hadn't stopped to consider the toll this was all taking on her, mentally and physically. She was completely worn down, on the brink of exhaustion.

He touched her knee, hesitant. "You're not doing this alone, you know."

"It's too much. I can't handle all of this. You were right—I _am_ just a kid. I don't know enough about magic. Maybe if Grams was still here …"

"But she isn't," he reminded her firmly, his gaze unwavering. "And you _are _strong enough to handle this, Bonnie. You're not just some novice. You're a _Bennett._ That's why Katherine came to you—she wants you on her side because she knows how strong you are."

Her gaze dropped to her lap and she watched his hand on her leg. "I need more Power," she said quietly, almost to herself. She lifted her gaze, her eyes narrowed with concentration. "If I'm going to have a shot in hell at stopping her, then I need _more_, Damon."

His gaze darkened. "You mean—"

"The blood exchange," she confirmed, her mouth going tight with resolve. "I don't think we have a choice."

"You're sure?" he pressed, his voice low. His eyes looked almost silver in the light.

She nodded slowly, breathing raggedly. Confusion filled her eyes. "I don't know … I mean, how do we …"

His expression was unreadable, except his eyes. They were flooded with a myriad of emotions: confusion and desire mingled as one. His eyes darkened, the veins beneath them rising to the surface.

Bonnie watched, horrified and fascinated as his fangs descended and he raised his wrist to his mouth, taking a savage bite. After a second, he extended his arm to her, the crimson blood flowing freely down his forearm.

She licked her lips, nervous, and brought her hands up his hold his arm. She lowered her mouth to the wound and opened her mouth. She swallowed a small amount of the liquid, distasting the metallic taste of copper in her mouth. It was warmer than she expected and thicker. Once she was past the foreign taste, it was almost sweet, but there was something more, something under the surface.

She swallowed again and then felt it. She could feel his Power as it started to fill her. The exhaustion she had been feeling moments earlier began to ebb away, a new energy replacing it. Her eyes slid shut and she sucked harder now in earnest, barely noticing when Damon groaned in response or when his free hand found the back of her head, his fingers tangling in her hair as he encouraged her to keep going.

Each swallow filled her with a new passion, stirred something so deep and so primal inside of her, she didn't know it existed. She could only imagine this was what it felt like to be high. Everything was alight and alive, a golden euphoria spreading throughout her body.

She was disappointed when Damon started to push her off gently. Finally, she let her mouth leave his wrist, and opened her eyes, licking her lips. One glance proved the wound on his arm was already healing.

His eyes were still ringed with red, his fangs still descended as he watched her tongue flick out. He gaze dropped to her wrist and took it in his hands. He started to raise it to his mouth when she did something neither of them expected.

Bonnie moved forward on the couch, opening her legs and leaning forward. She tossed her hair over one shoulder and baring her throat to him. She swallowed once and saw the hesitation in his eyes as they both realized the implications to what she was offering.

She trusted him.

"It's OK," she whispered so quietly no average human would have picked it up. Her pulse picked up. The steady thrumming became so loud they both heard it.

He needed no further encouraging. He surged forward, bracing a hand on either side of her body and his fangs sank into the soft skin of her neck, piercing her carotid artery.

She felt the sharp sting as his teeth broke her skin and then she felt the slow drag of blood being pulled from her body. But there was something more there, a new awareness of Damon as his mouth moved against her neck.

For the briefest of moments, her mind flashed back to the horrific scene in the woods when he had attacked her. She had felt his hand fist in her hair and jerk her head back, arching her neck to expose the long column of her throat. His teeth had torn into her brutally, forcefully taking her body's life force and draining it away. There was no pleasure in that moment. The terror that slammed through her had overridden any hopes of that.

It was nothing like the pleasure she felt now. The initial pain had faded into the background and was being replaced by an exquisite form of bliss that had her leaning into him even more. Giving her life to him was vastly different than him taking it. The power she was asserting over her own life was intoxicating.

She could feel his body starting to grow warmer with each swallow, she could feel their Power mingling and mixing together. One of his hands smoothed up her back, tangling in her hair as he held her against him. Her hands moved to his shoulders, gripping him and pulling him closer still.

After what only felt like seconds, he pulled away from her neck, panting. He hovered above her, his eyes conflicted as he licked away the last traces of her blood from his mouth.

Bonnie's gaze met his, her chest heaving between them. The air between them sparked and crackled. She smiled softly, slightly dazed and feeling better than she had in months. Since before Grams had died. The Power running through her veins felt ancient and strong, giving her a renewed energy.

And an entirely new awareness of Damon. She swallowed, her breath catching.

"Are you OK?" he asked softly, his eyes wide.

She nodded slowly. "Yeah. You?"

"Yeah," he whispered, his gaze drifting back down. The scent of her and the feel of her blood in his veins was overwhelming, intoxicating.

"Damon." She breathed his name a second before his lips crashed down on hers.


	11. Chapter 11

Due to the rules of this site, Chapter 11 will not be posted here. The subject matter is of a graphic sexual nature, and is not intended for younger readers.

Chapter 11 of Tear the World Down will be posted at my personal LiveJournal Community: _**Evening on the Ground**_:

www. community. livejournal. com / evening_ground

Just remove the spaces. The link can also be found in my profile page. You **must be a member** to read the chapter, so please join the community (it's free) to read this chapter.

All future NC-17 chapters will also be posted there, but all "regular" chapters will still be posted here.

Thanks so much for your understanding, and thank you for each and every review.

~Iz


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Morning was barely breaking across the sky when Bonnie opened her eyes. She blinked, looking around and realizing she was still in the Salvatore's living room. She sat up suddenly, clutching the soft afghan blanket to her naked chest. A quick assessment showed that she was indeed naked. A quick look around the room also proved that Damon was not in the room. A deeper assessment told her he was still in the house. She could sense him, like a dull humming in the background.

The memories of what she had done only hours earlier came back and her eyes slid shut. She had slept with Damon. She had fed off him, and let him feed off her.

She tried to conjure up some sort of morbid guilt, but felt none. She could still feel the Power he had given her rolling through her veins, strengthening her. It had done all he had promised and more, and she had enjoyed every exquisite second of it.

She fingered the soft fringe on the edge of the blanket. Clearly he had thought enough to cover her before he disappeared. Sighing, she swung her legs over the edge of the couch, looking for her clothes.

"Good morning," Damon announced as he came into the room with a smirk. He had put on a pair of dark jeans and a black t-shirt. He held a mug in one hand.

Bonnie scowled at him. "Where the hell are my clothes?"

"Why?" he asked, cocking his head to one side. He grinned devilishly. "I think this look suits you so much better."

Bonnie's eyes narrowed dangerously and she leaned forward, concentrating on the fireplace directly behind him. A fire blazed at full strength a second later. She glared up at him and arched a brow.

Damon moved a few steps away from the fireplace, frowning at her. "Not a morning person?"

She ground her teeth together, seething. The ability to set him and everything in this house on fire didn't seem to dampen his smug mood much. Although, she didn't see where she had much leverage considering she was practically naked on the couch they had just had sex on.

_Amazing_ _sex_, she remembered, shaking her head.

"Clothes, Damon," she demanded.

He rolled his eyes. "They're right there," he told her, pointing to the end table beside the couch.

She turned and, sure enough, her jeans and shirt had been folded up and set on the table. She stood, wrapping the blanket around herself. She stared at him for a second. "Turn around."

He made a face. "Seriously? You think I'm going to see something I didn't see last night?"

She could feel herself blushing, the heat creeping up her neck. She held her hand out. After a second, a single flame flickered in her palm. She smirked at him.

He rolled his eyes again, but turned around nonetheless.

Bonnie reached for her clothes, grabbing the jeans first. She looked around for her underwear and realized, with a sinking feeling, that Damon had literally torn them off her body last night. Mentally sighing, she just pulled the jeans on and then her bra. She picked up her t-shirt and then groaned aloud.

That, too, had been ripped apart by his eager hands. She held the tattered pieces in her hands, glaring at his back.

"I need a shirt," she finally said, tossing the scraps of material to the floor.

He turned back around and grinned, eyeing her in nothing but jeans and a lacy black bra. His eyes found hers. "Trust me, you don't."

She rolled her eyes impatiently, trying not to show how unnerved she was by his blatant staring. She masked her growing discomfort with annoyance. "Dammit, Damon—"

"Easy, OK?" He snorted and moved forward, pressing the mug into her hands a second before he blurred up the stairs. He was back just as quick, handing her a pink t-shirt.

She held it out between her thumb and index finger gingerly. She grimaced. "Do I want to know who this belongs to?"

He shook his head, annoyed. "It's Elena's. She left some clothes in Stefan's room."

"Oh," Bonnie said, setting the mug down on the end table and pulling the shirt over her head.

Damon moved to the armchair and pointed at the cup. "Coffee."

She picked up the mug, smirking. "You have coffee?"

"Of course I have coffee," he retorted, seemingly insulted she would imply he didn't. "Coffee raises our temperature. The caffeine stimulates—do you really even care about this?"

"Not really," she remarked, taking a tentative sip. She froze and stared at the mocha colored liquid. Two creams, four sugars. The way she always drank her coffee, but how did he … Her eyes snapped up to his, but he didn't seem to pick up on her realization.

"We need to get going," he told her, his tone bored.

"Going where?"

"The cabin," he told her. "Stefan and Elena took Jeremy there last night. I was going to go over, but …" He smirked at her and gestured to the couch.

She forced herself not to duck her head, and instead she met his gaze unflinchingly. "Yeah. About last night …"

He eyed her warily. "This isn't the part where you tell me you love me, is it? I'm just not looking for—"

She laughed, her shoulders shaking. "I was just going to say that was a one-time thing. It … it can't happen again."

He licked his lips and smiled at her. "Are you sure about that?"

Was she sure about that? She honestly didn't know. She still felt like she was riding the biggest rush of her life. She felt more empowered and confidant than she had in months. She felt sure of her abilities, and she was thinking clearer than she had been in a long while.

Well, with the exception of sleeping with Damon hours earlier.

Her brow furrowed. "Did you know that would happen?"

He sighed. "Did I know _what_ would happen?"

"That we would …" She trailed off and gestured between them, unable to put into words what they had done.

He glanced away for a second. A muscle jumped in his jaw. "I knew it was a possibility."

Her jaw dropped open, anger flooded her. "You _knew_ and you didn't tell me?"

"Oh, would you relax?" he snapped, his eyes flashing. "I did this to _help _you, remember? I'm guessing that you're feeling pretty good right now, right? And you sure as hell didn't seem to be complaining last night."

She looked away, seething, and not willing to admit he was right.

"Us sleeping together was a one-time thing," he confirmed coldly, his expression glacial. "Trust me—I get that. It's not exactly something I want to repeat, either."

"As long as we're clear," she replied evenly, not wanting to admit how much his words stung.

"Crystal," he ground out between clenched teeth.

"And no one can know about this," she insisted after a second.

"Fine by me."

She looked away. "Can we go now?"

He stood up and stalked out of the room soundlessly, not bothering to check if she was following.

* * *

Bonnie sighed as she got out of the Mustang, her feet sinking into the muddy grass in front of the cabin. She shut the door a bit harder than necessary, ignoring the way he glared at her. She could feel his anger in waves, but she could also feel his hurt through the bond. He had buried it deep, but it was there, and she didn't quite know how to handle that.

This was just too much. She couldn't deal with her emotions and his.

She started walking towards the cabin when there was a sudden crash from inside the small shack. Alarmed, she swung her gaze to Damon who took off at a run, closing the distance to the cabin in seconds.

He swung the door open with Bonnie on his heels. They stumbled into the cabin, eyes wide when they saw Elena huddled against the far wall and Stefan pinning Jeremy to the adjacent wall.

"Get _off_ me!" Jeremy roared, shoving Stefan back. Stefan stumbled and fell back.

"Jeremy, stop!" Elena shouted as Jeremy lifted one of the chairs from the kitchenette set and hurled it towards the door.

Damon moved in front of Bonnie and deflected the chair with his hand before it could smash into her. It hit the wall instead and exploded. Damon came into the room slowly, keeping an eye on Stefan. They closed rank around Jeremy, blocking him into a corner.

"Jeremy, calm down," Stefan said, keeping his voice soft.

"Don't tell me to _fucking_ calm down!" he shouted, his eyes wide. "Just get away!"

Bonnie went to Elena, pulling her best friend against her side. "What happened?"

"I …" Elena's eyes were dazed and glassy as she looked at Bonnie. There was blood on the collar of her shirt. "I let him feed off me, but then he … Stefan stopped him, and he went crazy." She looked desperately at her brother. "Jeremy, _please_—"

"Shut _up_, Elena!" he shouted, his face a mask of fury and hate. His eyes were ringed in red and his fangs were descended. He had transitioned.

"Bonnie, get her out of here," Damon ordered, not glancing back at them.

Bonnie took Elena's hand in hers and started to pull her out of the room. "Come on, Elena."

"No, Jeremy—" Elena started to argue and tried to tug free.

Bonnie held on tightly. "No, Elena. You can't do anything right now. We need to go before you get hurt." She managed to get Elena outside and next to the car before her friend broke down.

"What if I made a mistake and he didn't want this?" Elena asked through her tears, leaning against the side of the Mustang for support. "What if he hates me more than ever?"

"He doesn't hate you, Elena," Bonnie assured her gently, touching her shoulder. "He's confused. This is all new to him. He needs time to adjust."

There was another crash inside followed by a shout. After a second, Damon and Stefan emerged and shut the door behind them, their faces grim.

Elena immediately ran to Stefan, throwing her arms around his neck. His hands went to her back, holding her, as he kissed the top of her head.

"Shh, it's OK," he promised softly.

Damon made a face. "That is one angry vampire."

"Is he going to be OK?" Bonnie asked, folding her arms under her chest and eyeing Damon.

He shrugged. "Hard to say. But I think the best thing we can do is give him some space."

"Space?" Elena demanded, extracting herself from Stefan's arms. "Jeremy needs to know that he's not alone."

"Trust me," Damon said, sighing petulantly, "he knows. He needs time to sort this out."

"But—"

"Damon's right," Stefan said softly, taking her hand in his and smiling down at her. "It's daylight, so Jeremy can't leave. We'll come back before dusk and see how he is."

She didn't look happy, but eventually started to nod. "I guess you're right."

"Besides," Damon went on, "we have bigger problems."

"What now?" Elena asked, her voice weary and exhausted.

Damon looked at Bonnie, waiting for her.

Bonnie shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans. "Katherine. She came to see me last night."

"Oh, my God! Bonnie are you OK?" Elena demanded, her brown eyes wide and round.

"Did she hurt you?" Stefan asked, clearly worried.

"I'm fine, really. She didn't … But at least I know what she wants now," Bonnie muttered with a shrug. She looked at the ground, scuffing her toe into the ground.

"Which is?" Stefan pressed.

"Us. Dead," Damon answered with a wide grin.

Elena sighed, looking ready to start crying again as she rubbed her forehead. "Wonderful."

"Did she say anything else?" Stefan asked.

"She wants me to help her," Bonnie added.

"You?" Elena's brow furrowed.

Bonnie nodded slowly.

"It makes sense," Damon replied, his tone bland. "Katherine had Emily in her back pocket for years. She probably misses having a witch around to do her bidding."

Stefan was still frowning. "This just doesn't make sense. Why come after us now? Why wait so long?"

"Who the hell cares?" Damon snapped. "We need to stop her first."

"And how do you plan to do that exactly?" Stefan asked innocently, crossing his arms and waiting.

Damon hesitated, looking around the woods. Out in the open and exposed like this made him uneasy. "We should go back to the house and talk about this."

* * *

"Do you have any idea how we're going to stop Katherine?" Bonnie asked finally, tired of the heavy silence between them as Damon drove them back to the Salvatore house. Stefan and Elena were following in her car.

He sighed and rubbed a hand across his jaw. "No. Not really."

She couldn't help the small smile that played on her lips. "I didn't think you did."

He scowled at her. "I'll think of something."

She fought to keep the grin from spreading. "I'm sure you will."

"Shut up," he said, sighing. He glanced at her and shook his head, smiling slightly.

Bonnie took a deep breath and stared ahead through the windshield as they drove down Becker Street. "Thank you," she said finally.

"Excuse me?"

They both knew he had heard her perfectly, but she cleared her throat and said, louder, "Thank you."

"For?"

She grimaced. Of course he wouldn't make this easy. "For last night. The blood exchange … It worked. I feel stronger now."

"You're welcome," he said softly. He smiled after a beat. "Thank _you _for last night."

She glanced at him, curious. "Does my blood have much of an effect on you?"

His smile grew and he glanced at her, his blue eyes shining. "Oh, I wasn't thanking you for the blood exchange."

She shot him a withering look and slapped his arm. "Not funny," she muttered as they pulled into the driveway.

Damon shut off the engine and looked at her. "It was a little funny."

Bonnie smirked and got out of the car, shutting the door. She turned and watched Elena and Stefan get out of their car and they all started walking up the front walk. They filed in behind Damon wordlessly.

Elena sighed. "I'm still worried about Jeremy."

Bonnie wrapped an arm around her waist. "He'll be OK."

Elena turned back and looked at Stefan. "Stefan, are you sure—Stefan? What's wrong?"

Stefan had frozen in the doorway, his eyes wide and his body tensed. He breathed heard through his nose, his teeth clenched. A muscle in his jaw twitched.

Bonnie frowned at him. "What's wrong?"

Stefan's gaze swung to Damon, his gaze murderous. "You son of a bitch," he hissed.

Damon's eyes drifted shut. "Oh, shit. Stefan—"

"What did you _do_, Damon?" he demanded, taking a large step towards his brother.

Alarm slammed into Bonnie and she took a step back, feeling Damon's frustration. Stefan _knew_. "Stefan," she tried, starting to move between them. She stopped when Damon shook his head at her. She could feel it; he wanted her to stay back.

Elena seemed at a loss as she looked between them. "What's going on?"

"It's not what you think," Damon said softly, shaking his head.

Stefan's eyes went black and his fangs descended a second before he lunged for Damon's throat.

* * *

_**Author's Note**_: I know a lot of people were unhappy with my decision not to post chapter 11 here, and I'm sorry for that, but I will not post any NC-17 chapters here. An 'M' rating is the equivalent of an 'R' rating. And R is not NC-17. I know a lot of other fic author's post some graphic material here, and that's awesome for them, but I won't be.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

The sound of the two vampires colliding into the wall was deafening and nearly drowned out Elena's scream. Damon threw Stefan off him, but Stefan charged at him once more. This time they crashed through the wood paneling and drywall, falling into the formal dining room. Damon locked his arms around Stefan's waist and they slammed into the cherry wood dining room table. It splintered and broke into pieces under their weight.

"Stop it!" Elena shrieked.

Stefan shoved Damon back into the far wall and into the ornate gilded mirror that ran the length of the wall from floor to ceiling. It shattered, the shards raining down on Damon and skittering across the wooden floor.

Bonnie stepped through the hole they had made. "Enough!" she shouted.

They both froze a second later, dropping to their knees in pain as she leveled her Power at them. After a few seconds she released them and was amazed didn't even feel winded from using her abilities. She could feel her Power simmering under the surface, ready to rise up again and do her bidding. The mere thought was empowering.

Damon glared at Stefan. "Would you calm down for a second?"

Elena ran to Stefan's side, grabbing his arm. "What the hell was _that_?"

Stefan was still gritting his teeth. "Damon slept with Bonnie. Their scent is all over the house."

Bonnie flushed, embarrassed. She looked at the floor, unable to look Elena in the eye.

"Oh, get off your white horse, Stefan," Damon snapped, eyeing a tear in the sleeve of his shirt.

Stefan looked ready to attack him again. "People are not here just for your amusement, Damon. Bonnie's been trying to _help _us. You can't—"

"I can't _what_?" Damon demanded, his gaze lethal. "I can _do_ whatever the hell I want, Stefan."

"This is crazy," Elena started to protest. "Bonnie and Damon hate each other …" The argument died on her lips as she looked back and forth between Bonnie and Damon. "Oh, my God."

"It's complicated," Damon said softly, resigned as he got to his feet. He brushed the glass off his shirt and from his hair.

Elena stared at Bonnie. "Why would you—"

Bonnie exchanged uneasy glances with Damon. She sighed and looked back down. "It's complicated," she repeated. She looked hard at Stefan then. "But it was _my_ choice. He never forced me. Damon was helping me."

"See?" Damon said smugly, his smile back in place. "I _helped_ her. And you attacked me. Is this the thanks I get?"

"Wait a second," Elena cut in, frowning. She looked at Bonnie and her eyes narrowed. "Is that my shirt?"

Damon chuckled and Bonnie sighed, her eyes rolling to the ceiling.

"Why would you agree to this?" Stefan asked Bonnie, completely confused. "Did he compel you—"

"Oh, because the only way I could get her to agree to sleep with me is _compulsion_?" Damon snarled.

"Stop it!" Bonnie snapped. She looked at Stefan and decided to come clean. "A blood exchange. We did a blood exchange."

Stefan went completely still. Elena looked wildly between the three of them. "What's a—"

"I had her blood, she had mine," Damon said dismissively, waving a hand. He looked at his ruined shirt again. "Aw, hell. This was _new_."

Elena wrinkled her nose and glanced at Bonnie. "But why would you do that?"

"It gives her more Power," Stefan said softly, understanding dawning in his dark eyes. "She can use Damon's Power and her own."

"This way I won't get worn out like I did yesterday," Bonnie added gently. Her eyes pleaded with Elena for this to be OK.

Elena swallowed hard, at a loss. "Bonnie, I'm so sorry. I had no idea … Maybe we can do this without using your … _abilities_."

Bonnie gaze hardened slightly. "No, we can't. Katherine made it pretty damn clear that my abilities are what she wants. If I'm going to stop her, I need an edge. Damon gave me that." She ignored the smug pride she felt coming from Damon now.

"But there has to be some other way," Elena started desperately.

Damon frowned, growing annoyed again. "This isn't something that can just be _undone_. It's over. Bonnie made her choice and I," he paused dramatically, smiling at Bonnie, "was happy to help."

"By sleeping with her?" Stefan pressed, his teeth clenched. He glared pointedly at Damon.

Humiliation rolled through Bonnie. She felt oddly like a child being corrected by her parents, except this was a thousand times worse. She had already been second-guessing her decision to exchange her blood with Damon, and she was reeling from having sex with him. Watching Stefan and Elena pick apart what could arguably be the stupidest decision of her life was not helping.

Damon's shoulders stiffened, sensing her growing unease. His eyes hardened as he looked at Stefan. "What we did doesn't matter. It's between us."

Elena's mouth dropped open. "But—"

"Leave it alone," he told her evenly, his tone glacial.

Stefan sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. He stared at Damon a beat longer and then turned and walked into the other room. After a few seconds, Elena followed him, her head down.

Bonnie's eyes slid shut. She could feel the start of a migraine in behind her eyes. "This is a nightmare."

"Don't let them get to you," Damon told her.

Bonnie's eyes snapped opened, stunned to see his face inches from hers now. "Damon, what we did…"

A shadow passed over his face for a second. It was gone as quickly as it appeared. "I'm sorry if you regret your decision."

"That's just it," she admitted softly. "I don't think I do."

His lips curved into a slow smile and he nodded at her. "Good."

A sharp pain ricocheted through her head and she winced. "Damn."

His eyes narrowed. "Headache?"

She nodded slowly, not wanting to move fast. The dull ache had moved towards a persistent throbbing now, and she could feel the muscles of her neck beginning to tense. She moved a hand to rub the sore area, but was stunned when something cool touched her.

Her eyes flew up, stunned to see Damon's hands on her neck, gently kneading the taut muscles. She held her breath, barely able to move. Her eyes found his, and she wasn't very surprised to see her confusion mirrored in his expression.

With him this close, touching her, the bond almost felt tangible between them. Her hands fisted in his shirt of their own accord as she moved even closer to him. His fingers tangled in her hair, teasing the ends of it.

Bonnie swallowed, her eyes moving to his lips. She felt her breath catch, and that small voice that was warning her to back off now was growing more distant by the second. She could feel his want, his desire, through their bond which meant he could sense how he was affecting her. She arched her neck into his touch.

As if reading her thoughts, he smiled at her knowingly.

She eyes narrowed thoughtfully, playfully, as she attempted to glare at him.

"Better?" he asked after a second, his cool hand still pressed against the back of her neck.

"Yes," she replied, not wanting to move away.

He dropped his hands suddenly, taking a large step back and looking away. "You should go."

It took a second for her brain to register what he had said. She could still feel the imprint of his hand pressed against her flesh. After a beat, her eyes widened as she realized how close they had been to each other. How close they had come too…

Bonnie swallowed hard and turned on her heel, quickly walking away, but confusion clouded her mind once again as regret started to cut away at her. But she didn't know whose regret she was feeling: hers or Damon's.

* * *

"I feel like this is my fault," Elena said quietly, sitting on the edge of the couch. She watched Stefan's back as he braced an arm against the mantle of the fireplace.

"This isn't your fault," he assured her. He turned slowly, his expression conflicted. "This is all Damon. I'm not sure why he decided … Dammit. He _knows_ the repercussions for doing something like this."

Elena frowned. "Like what?"

"A blood bond is so much more than just exchanging blood between two people," he started, his eyes going dark and his voice flat. "Especially two people as strong as Bonnie and Damon."

"But I thought you needed, you know, _people_ blood to have those types of powers," she said softly. "And Damon hasn't been drinking human blood."

"Not from a direct source," Stefan replied, "but he's got a nice stash from the blood bank downstairs." He ran a hand through his already tousled hair.

Elena flinched. "I know that can't be easy on you."

He smiled thinly at her. "I'm managing."

Smiling up at him, she extended her hand and watched as he laced their fingers together and sat beside her. She leaned back into him.

"Is Bonnie in danger?"

He frowned at the tremor in her voice. "Not exactly. Vampires have been giving humans their blood for a long time. It's another way to … _control_ a human."

Elena stiffened and turned to look at him. "Control them?" she repeated with a shiver.

"Vampire blood has a certain … allure to it." He frowned deeper, trying to think of the best way to explain it to her. "It gives the human some of the side effects of being a vampire for a short time."

"Like when you let Bonnie have your blood? It healed her."

"Exactly," he said with a smile. "But there are other things, too. It can heighten the sense of smell and taste. And it can be quite erotic."

Elena bit her lower lip. "So that's why they…"

"More than likely." Stefan said with a small shrug. "Damon's blood is strong because he feeds off humans. He's been doing it for over a century. It's why he can compel humans so much easier than I can."

"But then why did he feed off Bonnie?"

"That's where it gets … tricky," Stefan said, letting out a long breath. "With a normal human, it wouldn't be anything. It might create a small bond between the vampire and human for a few hours, but nothing more."

"But Bonnie isn't a normal human," Elena surmised with a sigh.

"Not by a long shot. That's what makes their bond all the more … intense. There are two sides of Power at play here, and that will make their bond last."

"Forever?" Elena's eyes rounded with worry.

Half his mouth twitched into a smile. "Not forever, no. But for a while. Bonnie can use the bond to draw off Damon's Power and boost her own."

"OK," Elena said with a nod as her brow wrinkled in thought, "so what does this mean?"

"It means Bonnie is stronger than any of us could have anticipated," he said slowly, "including Katherine."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Elena opened the front door of her house with a heavy sigh, dropping her bag by the stairs. She turned as Bonnie followed her in and closed the door, leaning against it. Heavy silence lingered between them making the air thick and stagnant.

Finally Bonnie sucked in a sharp breath and squared her shoulders, looking Elena in the eye. "Say it."

"Say what?" Elena hedged, ducking her head so her hair fell in a thick curtain across her face.

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Don't do that, Elena. I know you, remember? We've been best friends since elementary school. I know when something's bothering you."

Ever since they had left the Salvatore house, Elena had been eerily quiet. Elena had wanted to come back and take a quick shower before they all went back to the cabin to see Jeremy, and Bonnie had offered to go with her, knowing she needed some time to sort things out with her best friend. But Bonnie hadn't forced the issue on the drive over; she wanted to give Elena her space and let her figure things out.

Elena looked up, her dark eyes worried. "I'm scared for you, Bonnie."

"I'm scared, too," Bonnie admitted, shrugging helplessly.

"Then why did you trust _Damon_?" Elena asked desperately, genuinely worried.

Bonnie frowned. "So, you can trust Damon, but I can't?"

Elena clenched her teeth. "That's not what I mean, and you know it."

"Then what exactly do you mean, Elena?"

"You were the one who came home and said you would never trust a vampire, let alone one like Damon! _You_ said that this was too much for you!" Elena finally snapped.

"Things change," Bonnie replied softly. "And I don't like trusting Damon … I'm not even sure I trust him." She knew that was a lie even as she said it. She did trust Damon, whether she liked it or not.

"But you're … bonded to him?"

Bonnie nodded slowly, her mind going briefly to the bond. She was somewhat amused and somewhat dismayed to know that even with miles between them she could focus on Damon. She could sense that something was annoying him at that precise moment. And he was hungry.

"I don't understand the bond yet," Bonnie said finally when she noticed Elena was still waiting for a response. "All I know is that Damon was the lesser of two evils."

"You mean Katherine."

"She came to my house, Elena," Bonnie whispered brokenly. "She was right next to my father. She could have killed him and I was completely powerless to stop her. I can't let her kill the people I love when there's something I can do."

"So you sold your soul to the devil?" Elena asked with a small smile after a minute.

Bonnie giggled, breaking the tension. "Something like that."

Elena sobered and stepped forward, taking Bonnie's hands in hers. "I need you to promise me something."

"OK."

"If this gets to be too much," Elena started slowly, "you'll say something. Stefan and I will figure something else out that doesn't involve you being tied to Damon. We can figure out a way to end this bond thing between you two. We all owe you that much."

Bonnie reigned in a sigh. If only it were that simple, but she had a feeling that there was no easy way to break the bond she and Damon had forged. That she was in this for the long haul. Even right now she felt on edge, jittery and anxious. She knew it had something to do with the fact that she wasn't in close proximity to Damon, and she also knew that she should be bothered by that and yet wasn't.

But staring at Elena's face, seeing the worry etched into her soft features twisted something in Bonnie's heart.

Bonnie wrapped her arms around Elena. "I promise," she lied again.

* * *

"Seriously, you need to let this go," Damon ground out at his brother. He tried to sidestep Stefan, and groaned with barely concealed fury when Stefan countered his move, effectively blocking him.

"Bonnie isn't something you can play with." Stefan's brow lowered, his dark eyes going obsidian as he stared hard at Damon.

Damon smirked. "Actually? That's _exactly_ what she is."

Stefan reached out, fisting Damon's shirt in his hands and shoving him hard into the wall. "I mean it, Damon. She had no idea what she's in for. I consider Bonnie my friend and I won't let you use her like some … blood whore so you can get your next fix. I get how strong her blood is, but this isn't the way."

Damon looked bored, his eyes drifting down to where Stefan had grabbed him. "You need to let me go now."

"I won't—"

He never finished the sentence. Damon's hands came up swiftly, shoving Stefan away from him with bruising force and knocking him back several feet.

"You're not stronger than me," Damon warned him coldly. "Not since I've had her blood and you've given up feeding on humans. _Again_." His tone was laced with acid.

Stefan started to pick himself up, only to go sprawling when Damon planted a heavy booted foot on his back.

"I don't expect you to understand what I've done," Damon continued conversationally, not the least bit bothered by his brother's discomfort, "but I do expect you to stay the hell out of it." He removed his foot and backed off so Stefan could get up. He started to walk back down the hallway.

"What about Katherine?" Stefan called.

Damon paused and turned. "What about her?"

"Katherine made it clear she wanted Bonnie. How do you think she's going to feel about taking something that she wanted? We both know Katherine never learned to share."

Damon's eyes hardened. "It doesn't matter."

"No?"

"No," Damon repeated. His eyes narrowed dangerously. "Bonnie is _mine_ now."

* * *

Elena closed her phone slowly, tears filling her eyes as she dropped her head into her arms on the kitchen table. Bonnie sat beside her, her hand immediately going to her best friend's back in support.

"Jenna's a mess," Elena whispered. "She's … filing a missing person's report for Jeremy. God, what have I done?"

"You did what you thought was best," Bonnie told her gently but firmly.

Elena looked up, tears clinging to her dark lashes. "But what if I made the wrong choice?"

Bonnie hesitated for a fraction of a second. "I don't really think there was a _right_ choice to be made, Elena. Either way, Jenna was going to lose Jeremy. At least this way, you didn't have to lose him, too."

"But he hates me. Now more than ever," she protested, sniffling. She swiped at her eyes, but more tears took their place.

"He's confused and upset," Bonnie allowed with a swallow. "You need to give him time right now."

"You think that will help? What if … what if he never accepts what I did to him?"

Bonnie studied Elena for a second, taking in her long dark hair that was still damp from her shower and the pale pallor to her skin. Her dark eyes looked luminous and overwhelmed. Elena looked ready to fall apart.

Sighing, she took Elena's hands in hers. "I think you need to just let him know you accept him for what he is, and don't try to change him. He's never going to be the same little brother who used to chase after us when we were outside playing. He's seen too much, been through too much. If you accept him for who he is now, maybe he can eventually accept himself, too."

Elena nodded slowly, taking in Bonnie's words. She drew in a deep, resolved breath and squared her shoulders. "You're right."

Bonnie winked. "I usually am."

Elena's lips twisted into a small smile. "I really missed you."

"I missed you, too." Bonnie returned her smile easily despite the headache that was beginning to build behind her eyes again.

Elena stood up and glanced at the clock over the oven. "Stefan and Damon should be here soon so we can go see Jeremy."

Bonnie nodded, trying not the wince as the pain steadily increased. She clenched her teeth together, but tried to smile anyway.

Elena tapped a nail against the countertop. "It's getting close to dusk," she murmured. "I wonder when they'll be—"

"They're here," Bonnie interrupted her, sensing Damon close now. She was on her feet before they had the front door open, her anxiety reaching a new pitch. She gripped the back of the chair as the pain sharpened suddenly. Her eyes slid shut and she groped blindly, not at all surprised when her fingers curled around something hard and cold.

Damon.

"What's wrong?" Elena's voice hitched with panic as she looked wildly at Damon. She had heard the door open, but her human eyes hadn't been able to see how fast he was moving until he literally appeared at Bonnie's side. Stefan came into the kitchen slower, more apprehensive.

"Another headache?" Damon said softly, keeping his voice low as he guiding Bonnie back into her chair.

"No," she forced out through her teeth. "It's something—"

The words died on her lips as her knees suddenly gave out from the blinding pain. She wasn't even aware of the way Damon effortlessly caught her, keeping her from collapsing on the floor.

It was all she could do not to scream as the vision assaulted her, blinding in its fury and intensity. The small flashes of premonitions she had gotten the last few months were nothing compared to this. This was like high definition with surround sound in her head, and her mind was going into overload. It was too much, too fast. She could barely keep up, and the pain simply kept growing. It felt like her skull was being cracked in half.

And then, gradually, the pain was receding. It slowly ebbed out of her and she became more conscious of where she was.

She felt the cool sensation against her face and realized Damon had pressed his forehead to hers and was draining away some of the pain. The vision blurred out of focus, but it didn't matter. She had seen what she needed to see.

Bonnie didn't realize her arms were around Damon's neck for a moment. His hands framed her face as he knelt in front of her, his thumbs gently sweeping across her cheeks. She focused on evening her breathing and slowing her pulse, taking the comfort Damon was offering her through the bond. It was like he had thrown her a lifeline and was slowly pulling her back in.

With a shuddering breath, she opened her eyes. She blinked back the residual tears of pain that lingered, momentarily stunned by how brilliantly blue his eyes were. She could feel his worry—worry for _her_—through their connection.

"I'm OK," she assured him after a second, her fingers smoothing across the back of his neck.

He still look unconvinced, the skin around his eyes tightening ever so slightly.

"Bonnie!" Elena's voice was shrill with panic and she was suddenly throwing herself at her best friend.

Bonnie saw Damon's jaw clench and felt what he was about to do a moment before it happened. She twisted and tried to warn her friend.

"Elena, don't!"

Just as Elena's hand closed around Bonnie's shoulder tightly, Damon's arm shot up and struck Elena in the chest, knocking her back. Elena went backwards, nearly slamming into the wall when Stefan caught her around the waist.

Stefan's eyes went wide, holding firmly to Elena as he stared down at Damon. Damon had moved in front of Bonnie, basic animal instincts kicking in to protect her. He was blocking her from both of them with his body, his jaw set and expression lethal.

Bonnie grabbed at his wrist. She had felt his protective instincts flare up when Elena moved towards them, and knew Damon was too closely linked in their bond to see that it was just Elena and not a real threat to them, to _her_. Damon had reacted purely out of an animalistic need to guard her.

"It's OK," she repeated softly to him, tugging at his arm. She could feel the confusion rolling in him as he struggled to control his vampire nature.

He took in a slow breath after a second, his face smoothing out. He pressed his lips together and glanced at Elena. "Sorry."

"It's … OK," she said slowly after a second, her wide-eyed gaze going to Bonnie. "Are you OK?"

Bonnie nodded slowly. The painful remnants of the vision were gone now. She started to get up, letting Damon hold her arm to steady her. When they were both on their feet, he still didn't move away from her.

"What was that?" Stefan asked softly after a moment, looking to Bonnie rather than Damon.

"A vision," she answered quietly.

Damon turned, his eyes wide. "You get those a lot?"

"Not like that one," she answered. "That one was …" She shuddered and ran a hand through her hair.

Damon stepped closer to her, barely inches away. "What did you see?"

Her green eyes came up, flashing with remembrance as she looked at him. Her lips curved into a slow, knowing smile. "I know what Katherine wants."

* * *

**Author's Note:** _Sorry for the delay, guys, but thanks so much for all the awesome reviews. This chapter was a bitch to write for some reason. I'm going on vacation the end of this week, and I'll be without internet access. I'll be taking my computer to keep writing, but I probably won't update for another 2 weeks. See you when I get back!_

_~Iz_


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

"You're sure this thing is going to be here?" Damon asked, pausing so Bonnie could catch up with his longer strides. His eyes scanned the darkness for any signs of movement. He was vaguely aware of a squirrel or a chipmunk scurrying away, but that seemed to be the only thing awake in the woods at the moment.

Bonnie nodded, stepping over a fallen log in the dense forest. She stopped to look up at Damon. "Whatever it is that Katherine wants is in the tomb. I saw her standing inside with it in her hands."

Damon made a face as a hawk screeched overhead. Night had just fallen, the sun finally sinking behind the horizon and plunging the woods into an inky darkness. He had no trouble maneuvering in the dark, but his very human companion was having more difficulty.

He squinted down at her. "You sure you're OK?"

She nodded again, slower this time. "Yeah. I am."

Without a word, he extended a hand to her.

Bonnie stared at the hand a second before she accepted it, letting him lead her through the dark. It took almost ten more minutes before they were in front of the mouth of the tomb. Bonnie felt a shudder rip through her and she stopped suddenly, pulling at his hand.

Damon turned, his expression uneasy. "You can wait here if you want."

Her face twisted with pain as she stared down at the same spot and Grams had exhausted themselves keeping the tomb open so Damon and Stefan could escape. That was the moment that cost Grams her life. She had expelled so much Power, it had drained her life force.

"Bonnie," Damon said softly, his fingers squeezing hers.

"I'm OK," she answered stiffly, taking a forced step towards the tomb.

Damon stopped her, his face annoyed. "No, you aren't. You can't lie to me, remember?"

"Fine," she snapped, green eyes flashing. "But I'm as OK as I'm going to be, so can we just get this over with?"

He still wasn't happy, but he didn't press her. He started down the incline, his grip tightening around her hand to help her. Her feet slid down the soft earth and she jumped the last foot to stand beside him.

Damon left her side, pressing his hands against the door to the tomb. He glanced back at her over his shoulder, his eyebrows drawn together. "Can you open this?"

Bonnie frowned. Last time it had taken her and Grams to open it. But standing here now, feeling Damon's blood and Power mixing with her own, she was fairly certain she could do it herself.

Taking a deep, cleansing breath, she raised her arms and let her eyes slide shut. She blocked everything from her mind except her Power and her bond to Damon, using that to enhance her own abilities. She focused on the door, channeling her Power in that direction. She heard the door moan in protest as it was forced open and she felt Damon's pleasure with each inch she gained.

After a few minutes she stopped, convinced she had opened it enough for them to squeeze through. Her eyes opened and she was amazed to see it had been completely opened. She breathed hard, happy but somewhat winded. Her eyes found Damon and she smiled, watching as his lips curved into an appreciative smile.

He inclined his head towards her. "Shall we?"

With a breathless laugh, she nodded and joined him. She was only a few steps behind him into the tomb.

Her nose wrinkled as the dust settled around them. The air was stale and musty. The red clay of the walls had deep groove marks etched into it.

_Claw marks_, she realized with horror, remembering the vampires that had been trapped down here had been very much aware of their prison. It had driven some of them crazy. She shuddered at the idea of being buried alive. Her hand reached out of its own accord, tracing the deep scratches.

Damon's hand closed over hers, icy and gentle. She looked up at him, startled.

"Where do we need to go?" he asked, his voice echoing off the walls.

She tried to remember, but it all looked the same in the blackness that surrounded them. "I'm not sure," she murmured, her hand moving further up the wall. The darkness was disorienting. She felt the rough wood sticking out of a bracket mounted crudely to the wall.

Her eyes narrowed. "_Ignis,_" she whispered, her voice floating up to it. The torch caught fire immediately, flaring to life. A beat later the remaining torches in the tunnel caught fire, illuminating the tomb for her.

Damon blinked against the sudden brightness.

"It was near a body," Bonnie told him. "I saw her leaning over a skeleton, holding a leather pouch. She wanted what was inside the pouch."

"I think I know where you mean," he replied pensively, his forehead creasing with concentration. He spun, trying to get his bearings.

"Lead the way."

He started down the long tunnel and then veered down another to the right.

"How many vampires were trapped down here?" she finally asked, following a few steps behind.

He paused for a second. "A couple dozen."

She couldn't help the bitter laugh that bubbled up her throat and past her lips. "And we set them all free."

He whirled suddenly, his hands tight around her shoulders and his face inches from hers. His blue eyes were narrowed as he stared down at her. "That wasn't your fault. Not yours, not your grandmother's. What happened was on _me_."

Her hands came up, holding onto his wrists but not pulling away. "I know that. I just wish it could have been different."

"For what it's worth," he said quietly, looking away, "so do I."

"I know you do," she answered after a moment.

His eyes snapped back to hers, wide and uneasy.

"I know you … regret what happened to my grandmother," she said, her voice catching.

His expression darkened and he started to pull away, but she wouldn't let him go. She moved forward a step closer when he tried to back away. "No lies, remember?" she reminded him.

His jaw tensed. "It was my fault."

"Yeah, it was," she agreed mildly, sighing. "But I know you did it because you loved Katherine. You wanted her free. I can't say I wouldn't have done the same thing if I was in your shoes."

He didn't bother hiding his surprise. "You would?"

"If someone I loved was trapped in a tomb for over a hundred years?" She nodded slowly, realizing her words were the truth. "I can see where I might go to extremes to save them."

"A lot of good it did though, right?" he finally replied darkly, his expression going stormy. "Katherine's been free the whole time."

"You didn't know that."

"But I should have," he hissed, his eyes wild and unfocused with fury. His fingers dug deeper into her skin, and she could only imagine the bruises she would have in the morning. As if reading her mind, he abruptly released her and moved away. This time she didn't try to stop him.

Damon stalked a few feet away and then whirled suddenly, slamming his fist into the soft clay wall. Pieces of it shattered under the impact, exploding in a cloud of red dust and debris. His hand fell to his side, blood seeping from a jagged gash across his knuckles.

Bonnie's eyes went his hand, to the blood there. Her feet moved forward of their own accord and then she was reached for his hand. She could feel his eyes on her, watching as she raised his hand to her lips. She pressed her mouth against the cut, her eyes never leaving his.

She hadn't even moved her lips away when he suddenly pulled his hand free from hers to cradle her face a second before he kissed her. Bonnie gasped at the sudden sensation of his mouth on hers, feeling a thrill of exhilaration shoot through her limbs as he pushed her back against the tunnel wall.

His lips moved across hers heatedly. His teeth grazed her lower lip, drawing a single bead of blood that his tongue greedily tasted. She moaned at the feeling, her hands going to his hair to hold his mouth to hers. She felt his free hand hook around one of her thighs, pulling it up around his waist. Her balance shifted and she stepped back to lean more against the wall when she heard a sharp snap under her boot.

They both froze, Damon's breath mingled with hers as they struggled to control their feelings. She couldn't tell if that was his lust or her lust she felt roiling in her veins. But then, she wasn't exactly sure that she cared either.

Bonnie glanced down between their bodies, stunned to see the brownish-white stick she had snapped. Her eyes narrowed as she looked closer and then her stomach rolled.

It was a bone.

"Oh, my God!" she gasped and jumped away. She pressed a hand to her chest, feeling her heart slam painfully into her ribs. She could see the full skeleton now, covered by scraps of clothing that hadn't been completely destroyed by time. A tarnished chain hung with an equally tarnished medallion around the neck, and beneath the left leg was the edge of the leather pouch she had seen Katherine taking in her vision.

"Damon," she started, beginning to point. No way in hell was she touching those remains. She drew the line at grave robbing.

He knelt swiftly, freeing the leather bag and unlacing the straps quickly. A small, flat amulet fell into his open hand. He frowned and handed it back to her. "What is it?"

She turned the piece of silver over in her hands, her finger tracing the engraved '8' on it. Her brow furrowed. "This is the infinity symbol." She turned it again, feeling the Power inside it. Someone had infused this talisman with a significant amount of Power.

"Oh, shit," Damon whispered, still crouched in front of the body. His head dropped and he expelled a hard breath.

Her eyes went to him. "What? What's wrong?"

"I know this guy," he muttered, getting to his feet. He rubbed the back of his neck, agitated. "He was a slave of my father's. His name was Reed."

"How do you know—"

He pointed to the chain. "I know the medallion. It was a gift."

"You gave a slave a gift?" Bonnie frowned. What she remembered of U.S. history didn't work with that scenario. Slaves owners weren't known for their acts of kindness to the slaves.

"Not me," he told her wryly, his smile mocking. "Emily Bennett did."

Bonnie's eyes went wide and her gaze went down to the skeleton. "Why would Emily Bennett give him that?"

"Because they were lovers," he informed her matter-of-factly. "He also fathered her two children. Twins. A boy and a girl."

Something clicked into place. "But that would mean—"

"That Reed was your Great-Great-Great Grandfather? Afraid so."

"Why would a slave be entombed with a bunch of vampires?" Bonnie whispered, unable to look away from the bones now.

"Because Reed tried to help save Emily, and Katherine by default," he admitted. "I was there when my father's men took him away for helping Emily and Katherine."

"And you didn't do anything?" she demanded, tearing her eyes away to glare at him.

His eyes narrowed, annoyed and amused at the same time. "He was a _slave_. What did you want me to do? Beg my father to spare him? Besides, if they were focused on Reed it gave me more time to get to Katherine and…"

"And what?" she challenged when he trailed off and looked away. "Time to _save_ your beloved Katherine? We all see how well that turned out."

"I did what I did," he said coolly, his eyes hard. "I would do it again if I had to."

"Save Katherine?" she smirked, the look in her gaze completely void of humor.

"No," he said evenly, his gaze unflinching. "Kill someone else to save someone I love."

She swallowed, suddenly uneasy with the intensity of his look. She jumped in shock when her cell phone suddenly chirped in her pocket. She nearly dropped the talisman as she tried to dig it out of her pocket.

"Hello?" she answered, a bit breathless. She twisted away from Damon.

"_Bonnie?" Elena's voice was frantic on the phone._

Bonnie frowned, looking up at Damon. He moved closer to her instinctively. "What wrong?" she asked.

"_Jeremy's gone."_


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Damon's Mustang slid across the wet gravel and mud as he hit the brakes too hard and the car tried to stop. The back end fishtailed for a moment before it came to a jerky halt. It had started raining on the way over, the late night thunderstorm not uncommon for this time of year. They had ridden in silence, the sound of the rain on the canvas top of the convertible somewhat soothing. Bonnie had the talisman clutched in her first, unwilling to let it go.

The rain was still coming down hard as they got out of the car. Elena raced out the front door of the cabin, Stefan on her heels. She wiped the rain away from her face a second before launching herself into Bonnie's arms.

"What happened?" Damon demanded, looking sharply at Stefan.

"He was gone when we got here," Stefan replied, his eyes still scanning the tree line for any signs of Jeremy.

Damon glared at him. "Did you get here before sunset?"

Stefan clenched his teeth together. "Of course we did."

"He's gone," Elena sobbed, pulling back from Bonnie. Her tears mixed with the rain drops and her teeth started to chatter.

"OK," Bonnie said slowly. "Let's get inside."

"But he's out here somewhere," Elena protested, stepping away from Bonnie. "I have to find him!"

"Elena, you need to get warm before you catch pneumonia," Bonnie said gently, trying to coax her best friend back inside where it had to be a bit warmer. She could feel water seeping through her clothes, plastering them to her body, but the chill in the air didn't seem to bother her. In fact, had it not been for Elena's teeth starting to rattle together, she probably wouldn't have noticed.

A streak of lightening illuminated the sky for a brief second, distracting Elena. Bonnie grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into the dry cabin. Damon and Stefan followed them, and Damon kicked the door shut once they were all inside. Stefan moved towards the fireplace and glanced at the stack of dry rotted wood beside it. He lifted a log, testing its heft before tossing it back to the pile with a grimace. They were left with two small gas powered lanterns for lighting that threw shadows across the room like demons.

"What happened when you got here?" Damon's gaze shifted back and forth between Elena and Stefan.

Bonnie had moved Elena to the edge of the only chair left unbroken in the room. The old wooden legs creaked and groaned in protest under her weight. She bent over, burying her face in her hands.

"We got here and the door was open. Jeremy was gone," Stefan explained, unable to look away from Elena. "I searched the woods, about a mile radius. There was no sign."

Damon frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. "And you're sure you were here before dark?"

"Yes, Damon," he said petulantly with an exasperated sigh. He finally looked at his brother. "I don't know how he got away. This makes no sense. He shouldn't have been able to leave in the daylight. He would have no protection from the sun."

"Are you sure he fully transitioned?" Damon pressed. "Maybe—"

"He had enough of Elena's blood to make the change," Stefan cut in. His eyes darkened. "More than enough."

"Do you have any idea where he would go?" Bonnie said, chiming in as she turned away from Elena.

"He'd be hungry," Damon answered her, shifting his gaze to her. "He might try going into town."

Elena let out a low moan and Bonnie winced.

"Maybe we should go into town," Stefan suggested, the corners of his eyes tightening with worry as he looked at Elena.

Elena dropped her hands from her face, her eyes ringed with red as she started to get to her feet. She swiped at her eyes and nodded quickly. "Yeah. We should—"

"_You_ should stay here," Damon ordered rather than suggested, his tone unflinchingly brutal.

Elena's mouth dropped open. "No! What—why?"

"Stefan and I can cover a lot more ground than you ever could," Damon said, softening his tone when Bonnie glared at him, but he still looked vaguely annoyed. "Bonnie can stay with you. We'll call if we find anything."

Elena took a deep breath to argue with him when there was a soft knock at the door. It was so gentle and unexpected, Bonnie wasn't entirely certain it was a knock and not just a branch breaking loose from a tree and hitting the door. Her back stiffened and she glanced at Damon and Stefan.

There was no mistaking the short, staccato cadence of the second knock. The rhythm was light, almost playful.

Bonnie took a step towards the door, but suddenly found her vision blocked when Damon appeared in front of her, his back obscuring her view. He moved a hand behind his back, motioning for her to stay put, and she could feel his unease through their bond. A quick glance out of the corner of her eye proved Stefan was herding Elena to the back of the cabin.

Damon squared his shoulder and yanked the door open so fast he nearly tore it clean off the hinges. It bounced back into the wall, the sound of the impact muted somewhat by the crash of thunder outside. A jagged streak of lightening illuminated a small form in the doorway, but darkness shrouded their identity.

Bonnie peered over Damon's shoulder, her fingers curling around his biceps. Her grip tightened as the person—woman—stepped slowly into the room.

She raised her head, water dripping from the curled ends of her dark hair. Her brown eyes were furious as they looked at Damon.

_Katherine_.

"Katherine," Stefan voiced her thoughts, choking on the word as he stared at the woman that had haunted his nightmares for more than a century. His eyes rounded with worry.

Bonnie caught Elena's quick gasp a second before Katherine's head swung in her direction. Katherine's eyes glittered dangerously.

"Well, well," she drawled softly, emphasizing a sweetly southern accent. "It's almost like looking in a mirror." She winked at Stefan. "I see why you're so … drawn to her."

"What do want, Katherine?" he demanded, his voice surprisingly firm. His gaze never wavered from hers.

"Nothing from you," she said bluntly with a snort. "Take Elena and go. Neither of you matter to me right now."

"We're not leaving," Stefan told her, lifting his chin an inch.

"Suit yourselves," she muttered darkly, swinging her gaze back to Bonnie and Damon.

Katherine swallowed hard, her fangs descending with her unchecked anger as she stared at Damon and the way Bonnie was still holding onto him. "You _bonded_ with her?"

His eyes narrowed marginally. "That's none of your concern."

"The Bennett's are _mine_, and you know it!" she hissed, her small hands curling into tiny fists that they all knew were strong enough to shatter every board in the cabin within seconds. "How dare you touch her!"

"Not anymore," Bonnie said quietly, stepping around Damon to stand beside him. She saw the muscles in his arm flex and could feel him fighting the urge to pull her behind him again. His protectiveness made her feel even stronger; knowing he was backing her fueled her on.

Katherine's lips curved into a cruel smile. "Emily thought she could escape me, too," she replied. "She tried to break our bond."

"You were bonded with Emily?" Bonnie couldn't help but ask, surprised.

Katherine's gaze moved to Damon. She arched her eyebrows, amused. "You mean you didn't tell her that?"

Damon's jaw clenched but he didn't say a word.

Katherine looked back to Bonnie. "Of course we were bonded. And then Emily started second-guessing me. And she betrayed me by burying _my_ talisman in the tomb. She ruined all of my plans, you know."

Bonnie could feel the weight of the talisman inside the pockets of her jeans and forced herself not to reach for it instinctively.

Stefan frowned. "What talisman?"

Katherine ignored him, her gaze far away as she relived old memories of a past lifetime. "I trusted Emily completely and she betrayed me. But I suppose she got what she deserved in the end."

"Emily was burned at the stake," Elena whispered, her eyes wide and terrified.

Katherine barely spared her a glance. "Yes, she was. I couldn't let what she did go unpunished, could I?"

"_You_ had her burned?" Damon seemed stunned by this.

"Of course I did. Once she turned her back, she was no good to me," Katherine snapped impatiently. She shifted her weight on her feet and glanced at Bonnie once more, her eyes hungry with want. "Do you have any idea how long I've had to wait for you? For someone who came close to Emily's Power?"

Bonnie flinched and resisted the urge to back up a step.

"Over a century and a half," Katherine muttered. Her onyx eyes flashed. "And then I discover you, Bonnie, and all the Power you possess. But you gave it away to _him_." She stared hard at Damon and then slowly started shaking her head. "Damon, Damon. You were such fun to play with, you know that? Such a silly little human boy. You were so easy to manipulate it made me laugh. No compulsion necessary for you. You ate up any bit of attention I threw your way. So pathetic and _needy_."

Bonnie moved her hand to the small of his back as she felt his fury start to overwhelm their bond. The last thing any of them needed was for him to attack Katherine. She willed him to calm down, moving even closer so their arms brushed. His entire body was coiled with barely suppressed rage. After a second she felt him relax fractionally, but it was enough to let her know he wouldn't do anything foolish.

Katherine wasn't finished, though. "Stefan was my challenge." Her eyes flickered over to the man in question. A sweet, dreamy smile filled her face. "Sweet Stefan. I actually had to work at controlling you when you discovered what I was." The smile smelted away, replaced by a look of sheer repulsion. "What a disappointment you are. Had I known how weak and useless you would be in this life, I never would have bothered. Such potential. Who would have thought it would be _Damon_ that was the better vampire?"

"Only you would think _not_ being a homicidal maniac was a bad thing," Elena muttered darkly. "I can't believe we're related."

"Neither can I," Katherine agreed with a small grin. "And that's why you're going to be the first one I kill."

Stefan hissed, his eyes going black and his fangs descending as he shoved Elena back against the wall. He crouched protectively in front of her.

Laughing, Katherine started to move forward when she abruptly stopped. The laughter died on her lips as her face twisted with pain. With a shriek, she landed on her knees, clutching her head.

Bonnie stepped forward, her gaze narrowed with concentration as she level her Power at Katherine. Damon moved with her, shadowing her every movement. After several agonizing seconds, Bonnie relaxed and let her Power ebb away, releasing Katherine from its grip.

It only took half a second for Katherine to recover. She scrambled to her feet, eyes blazing.

"You're right," Bonnie said evenly. "Damon and I _are_ bonded, and that means his Power is mine. You can't take all of us on. Get out of Mystic Falls."

Katherine threw her head back and laughed loudly. "Do you really think a little pain is anything to me? What's happening is bigger than any of you could imagine. And while your bond with Damon is inconvenient, it will be easily broken when I kill him."

Now it was Bonnie who moved to stand in front of Damon, acting on pure instinct to shield him. Rage flared up in her chest, hot and burning as it charred her insides. She could practically feel the fire itching to be released from inside her.

Katherine sighed and backed down. "But I'll make you a deal. Give me the talisman, and I'll give you Jeremy back."

The four of them froze, all staring at Katherine. Katherine, who was smiling like the proverbial cat that ate the canary. She was playing her trump card and they all knew it.

"You took Jeremy?" Elena whispered, horrified.

Katherine didn't even bother acknowledging her. She kept her eyes on Bonnie. "You have until dawn to decide. And then young Jeremy will see his last sunrise. After that I'll start killing off everyone else in this room. It's your choice, Bonnie."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

"We can't go to your house," Bonnie said softly once she and Damon were in the car. The rain had slowed to a drizzle and she could see Stefan's taillights glowing in the night as he turned a corner down the muddy road that lead away from the cabin. They had decided it was best to take Elena back to her house. After discovering Katherine had taken Jeremy, Elena had almost shut down. The stress was overwhelming and wasn't getting any better. Stefan would stay with her and Jenna at their house for the night.

Damon leaned his head against the headrest, letting the engine idle. He expelled a long breath. "I know."

"My house," Bonnie decided, dropping her chin to her chest in exhaustion. "Katherine's never been invited in. We'll be safe there."

He scowled at the dark. "I'm not afraid of her."

"I know you aren't," Bonnie agreed truthfully. She knew he wasn't afraid to go head-to-head with Katherine. _That_ was what worried her. "But I just need a few hours to think without worrying about Katherine getting to another one of us. She already has Jeremy."

He put the car in drive, heading for her house. They bumped across the unpaved roads in the woods and then glided through the slick streets of Mystic Falls. The town was still alive, and Bonnie saw several of her classmates spilling out of the Grille and into the street. They looked so young, laughing and joking as they headed for their cars. Her heart twisted for a second, wishing she was back to being blissfully ignorant of the world around her. This time last year, that had been her.

She had been one of the popular girls, a cheerleader. Now she felt like she had lived a lifetime in the last few days. She rubbed her temples, exhausted and aching deep in her bones.

"We'll get through this," Damon said quietly, sensing her emotions.

"Will we?" she asked mildly, leaning her forehead against the cool glass of the window.

He didn't reply. He turned the wheel onto her street. Most of the houses were dark. A few had TV's flickering in darkened rooms. He pulled the car alongside the curb and put it in park, killing the engine.

Bonnie's hand curled around the handle and she let herself out. Damon was standing in front of her before she had even finished shutting her door. She rolled her eyes, but couldn't help the small smile that tugged at her lips. He fell into step with her as they walked up the concrete path and the stairs of the porch. She slid her key into the lock and pushed open the door, suddenly grateful she wouldn't be spending the night alone in the house.

She turned to see Damon looking expectantly at her.

"This is the part where you invite me in," he reminded her good naturedly. He leaned against the frame, his silhouette backlit by the street lamps.

She briefly considered not inviting him in. After all, her father lived here, too, and Damon wasn't known for his charitable acts towards humanity. But staring at him on her porch, seeing the exhausted lines around his eyes, she suddenly knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she trusted him with her life. He wouldn't betray her.

"Come in," she said softly.

He stepped over the threshold, his eyes sweeping the modest foyer. He moved closer, his eyes glittering when she didn't back away from him. He kicked the door shut with his foot, plunging them into darkness.

She shivered as the air conditioning unit kicked on. Her clothes were still wet, her hair a mess of curls from the rain. She wanted nothing more than her warmest set of flannel sheets and her fluffy, terrycloth robe. Maybe if she could pretend, just for an hour, that everything was normal again she wouldn't feel like she was going crazy. She needed a hot shower to wash away the remnants of the night.

An image of her and Damon sharing the shower came to her, searing her mind. She shivered again, but not from the cold this time. She made herself step back.

"I'm going to take a shower," she said slowly. _Alone_, she added to herself as an afterthought.

He nodded, watching as she headed down the hallway for her bathroom. She made a quick stop at her bedroom for a change of clothes and then closed the bathroom door. She flicked on the light, blinking at the sudden brightness. She laid her clothes on the counter and finally lifted her eyes.

She barely recognized the girl standing there.

Mud was smeared in various places, and her clothes were plastered to her thin frame. Her shoulders drooped as if carrying some unseen weight. Her hair was a wild mess, tangled and curly. But it was the eyes that were the most disturbing. The normally bright green that matched her energetic smile was gone. Her eyes were flat and hard, and her mouth was pinched and tight.

Bonnie braced her hands against the counter, bowing her head as she felt the first tears sting the backs of her eyes. The weight of all she had lost, of all she had endured, was suddenly burying her alive. Her knees buckled and she leaned her face against the counter, choking down a sob.

She never heard the bathroom door open, but then strong arms were lifting her up and cradling her against a broad chest. She kept crying, her hands fisting in the damp fabric of his shirt as she wept. She didn't know how much time had passed. It could have been minutes, it could have been an hour. But then she lifted her face and let him go, wiping her eyes.

Damon set her on the counter, letting her legs dangle off the edge. He braced a hand on either side of her thighs, bracketing her. He lowered his face until it was an inch from hers.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, unable to meet his gaze. Embarrassment flushed through her, burning her with humiliation that she had let him see her fall apart like that.

"Don't apologize," he told her, lifting a hand to smooth the hair from her face. "Sometimes I forget how human you are."

She gave a halfhearted laugh and wiped under her eyes. "Is that a good thing?"

"Sometimes," he allowed with a small smile. His fingers traced the curve of her jaw, the coolness of his skin warming her in ways she didn't think possible.

She started to lean her cheek into his palm when he cleared his throat and stepped back.

"You should take that shower." He took another step back and moved to the shower, turning on the faucet. He tested it with his fingers for a moment, adjusting the temperature.

Bonnie slid off the counter, watching as he started for the door.

"Stay."

He froze, his hand on the doorknob. With a quiet sigh, he turned back to her. His eyes were conflicted.

"Are you sure?" he asked after a second.

She blinked once and then grabbed the hem of her shirt—Elena's shirt—and stripped it off. His gaze darkened, but he didn't move, as she continued to peel away the layers. She kicked off her shoes, tugged off her socks, removed her wet jeans and then reached behind her back for the snap of her bra.

Damon moved to fast for her to see, his hand covering hers, stopping her. His eyes narrowed slightly, but then he gently nudged her fingers out of the way and unclasped her bra himself. His eyes never left her face at the material fell soundlessly to the floor.

His hands traced the curve of her shoulders, trailing lightly down her arms until he linked his fingers with her and drew her arms around his neck. He watched her eyes drift shut and her neck arched as she offered herself to him. He bent his head and pressed his lips to her throat, feeling her pulse beneath her skin, but not biting her.

His mouth moved lower, kissing across the sharp bones at the base of her throat. Her fingers curled in his hair, pulling his head closer as she arched her chest into him. He stopped kissing her at the swells of her breasts, intentionally lifting his head and pressing his lips once to hers chastely. He pulled back, smirking when her brows lowered with a frown of displeasure.

"Patience," he chuckled, dropping his hands to her waist and walking them towards the shower. He tested the water again with his fingers to make sure the temperature hadn't waned and then flicked the droplets at her.

Rolling her eyes, Bonnie stepped back and started to remove her underwear, mildly surprised she didn't feel the least bit self conscious about being completely nude in front of Damon while he was still very much in all of his clothes. She hooked her thumbs around the lacy edge of her panties and gasped when they were quickly ripped away from her body with a flick of Damon's wrist.

He shrugged, unapologetic, at her open-mouthed expression.

"By the time this is over, you're going to have to buy me all new underwear," she warned him, watching as his eyes roved freely over her body. She folded her arms under her chest, raising her eyebrows expectantly.

"Works for me," he agreed, his voice husky and rough as his eyes moved back to hers. "Or you could just stop wearing them."

She blinked once and laughed, then ducked her head as a yawn overcame her. Before her eyes were open, Damon had lifted her up and set her inside the shower stall and under the warm spray. He stripped off his own clothes with amazing speed and joined her, shutting the sliding glass doors behind them.

Bonnie started to turn around, but Damon kept her facing in front of him. His hands were always a step ahead of her—reaching for her shampoo, working it into her hair, and adjusting the stream of water to rinse it away. By the time she was done, she felt almost boneless and was amazed at how relaxed she felt.

How relaxed he had _made_ her feel.

She could feel his exhaustion and worry through their connection. He was worried about her. Worried she wouldn't be strong enough. Worried Katherine would do something else that would throw them even further behind. Worried she would fall apart on him.

This quiet and introspective Damon worried _her_. She could handle Damon angry and raging. She expected that from him. But the Damon who was silently taking care of her was unsettling. She could feel herself becoming more and more comfortable with him. Her guard was lowering with each passing moment. Being here with him like this felt almost normal.

Almost.

Stepping out of the shower, she wrapped herself in a thick towel and tossed another to Damon. She dried off quickly and wrapped the towel around herself. She picked up Damon's clothes from the floor.

"Want me to wash these?" Her nose wrinkled from the wet smell coming from them. She held them away from her body.

He smirked. "Sure. Want me to run home and get the rest of my laundry, too?"

Her eyes narrowed good naturedly and she hurled the clothes at him. "Wash them yourself. Machine's down the hall." She turned and walked into her bedroom.

She only made it a step into the room when she was hit from behind. Damon's arms wrapped around her waist and tackled her onto the bed. It groaned in protest under their sudden weight.

She flipped around beneath him, finding it hard to move under his weight. His arms formed a cage around her, surrounding her. He dropped his mouth to her neck, this time he let his fangs descend and graze the soft skin but didn't draw blood. He could feel it pulsing, vibrant and alive, under the tender skin.

Bonnie twisted away, mock glaring at him. "Oh? So now you're hungry?"

He blinked, confused. "I'm _always_ hungry. But you smelled terrible. I have standards, you know."

She couldn't help but laugh. "And now I meet your standards?"

"You'll pass," he hedged gruffly, but his pale blue eyes were shining as he smoothed her damp hair back.

She sobered after a beat. "Are you worried about Katherine? That I won't be strong enough?"

He adjusted his weight, bracing a hand on either side of her head. "Are _you_ worried?"

"Yes," she answered honestly, knowing it was pointless to lie to him. "I'm worried that even with my Power and yours it won't be enough."

He smoothed her damp hair away from her forehead. "I think you're stronger than you realize. You make Katherine nervous, something that's insanely hard to do."

"Do I make _you_ nervous?" she asked after a second.

The corners of his eyes tightened fractionally as he considered her question. After a long pause, he dipped his head and kissed her slowly. He took the time to tease her mouth open, smiling when she moaned. His tongue tangled languidly with hers.

"Yes," he answered against her lips when he broke their kiss a moment later and then pressed his lips more insistently to hers.

* * *

It would be dawn soon.

Bonnie dropped the curtain back in front of her window. As she turned back to the bed, the clock caught the corner of her eye, the red digital numbers flashing. 4:35. Dawn would break in just over an hour. She looked back at her bed and at Damon asleep in it. His long body was almost too big for the full sized mattress, and both of them on it together had been a tight fit. But she had slept more soundly in the last four hours than she had since before Grams had died, the exception being the night she spent in Damon's bed.

A sad smile turned her lips up as she walked to the edge of the bed where he was still soundly asleep. She bent over, holding her hair back so it wouldn't brush across his face and pressed a light kiss to his lips.

She felt him begin to stir, waking up beneath her. She lowered her lips to the shell of his ear.

"_Dormite_," she whispered gently and watched as his body went still. She smoothed his hair back away from his forehead as she straightened, wondering how long he would stay asleep now. Vampires probably reacted differently to spells than humans did.

Bonnie went to her closet and pulled a black hoodie from it, craving the invisibility it afforded her rather than the warmth. She pulled it on over her t-shirt and jeans and moved for the door, pausing only to grab the infinity talisman from her dresser. She clutched it in her palm and turned with regret to the bed once more.

Damon would be furious when he woke up and found her gone. He would know immediately she went to Katherine. Stefan and Elena would be angry, no doubt, as well. She tucked the talisman into her pocket and started for the front door.

There was no need for all of them to die if she could stop it. She wouldn't let Katherine have anyone else she cared about.

* * *

**Author's Note:** _This is an edited version of Chapter 17, due to this site's restrictions on NC-17 material. The full chapter can be located at my LiveJournal community (the link is in my profile). The reason I edited this chapter and not chapter 11 is because there were certain parts of this that the reader needed in order to understand the rest of the fic. Chapter 11 will not be posted here in any form since the entire chapter is NC-17. The full version of this chapter will not be posted here either, so please don't comment asking for it or PM me asking me to put it up here. Sorry, but that's my choice._

_Thank you everyone who takes the time to comment to my fic, favorite it and/or me. It means so much more than you know. :-)_

_~Iz_


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

The talisman belonged to Katherine; it had been designed for her. That was the conclusion Bonnie had drawn when she slid inside her hybrid and started driving for an unknown destination. Something deep inside was guiding her and she knew, as she turned onto a dead-end street on the fringe of the town's limits, that Katherine was this way.

There was a two-story colonial at the end of the lane, white with faded blue shutters framing the dirty windows. The overgrown grass and hedges were indicators that no one had lived there in quite some time, but there were two lights on in second floor that glared down at her like eyes, daring her to come inside. Trees framed three quarters of the property, years of fallen leaves acting as a thick carpet for the dying grass beneath.

She put the car into park and turned off the engine before stepping out. She took a deep, steadying breath and closed the door and then started up the front walk. The cement blocks that formed it had taken a beating from the elements over the years and were cracked open in places with weeds growing through. She carefully climbed the steps and hesitated in front of the door.

She let her eyes slid shut, feeling for the bond with her mind. She smiled grimly. Damon was still sleeping. She let out a relieved breath she hadn't realized she was holding and opened her eyes, not overly surprised to see Katherine standing in front of her.

The petite brunette wore an bemused smile on her face. She looked oddly normal in dark skinny jeans and a red camisole with her hands clasped in front of her, eyes alight with excitement. "Did you bring it?"

Bonnie nodded stiffly, reaching into her pocket and fisting the talisman.

Katherine extended an impatient hand. Her mouth tightened with displeasure. "Well? Give it to me." She wiggled her fingers emphatically.

"No," Bonnie said firmly, her eyes flashing with an unspoken challenge. Her chin raised a notch.

"No?" Katherine repeated, eyebrows raising dramatically. "Why not?"

"Where's Jeremy?" Bonnie demanded.

Katherine's pretty lips turned down, frowning. "Upstairs, of course." She made a face. "Quite annoying, that one. I'm not entirely sure why anyone would want to keep him alive."

"He's Elena's brother," Bonnie retorted as an explanation.

Another eye roll. "Ah, yes. Poor little Elena. Remind me to kill her when we're done here."

Anger rippled through Bonnie's chest. "You won't _touch_ Elena. Or anyone else I care about."

"Or else what?" Katherine taunted, grinning widely.

Bonnie raised the fist holding the talisman pointedly. "I don't think it would be too hard for me to destroy this."

Any pretense of humor vanished from Katherine's face. For a second she actually looked panicked, but that quickly morphed into rage. "Don't threaten me, Bonnie," she snarled, her eyes going black. "Emily tried that and I had her burned at the stake."

"I thought Emily was supposed to be your best friend," Bonnie said slowly, shaking her head. "You _bonded_ with her."

Katherine snorted and rolled her eyes. "And? Bonding with someone doesn't make you best friends, Bonnie." Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully and her head tilted to the side. "That also doesn't make you fall in love with them."

Bonnie stiffened and her mouth dropped open. "I'm not—"

"In love with Damon?" she finished innocently. "I'd hope not. Especially since he was kissing Elena a few nights ago." Her lips curved into a wicked smile when Bonnie froze. "Guess he forgot to mention that when he was screwing you last tonight, huh? Well, he _thought_ it was Elena anyway."

Bonnie sucked in a sharp breath, suddenly desperate for air. She knew that she and Damon weren't in love. In fact, they could barely tolerate each other, and if it weren't for this bond they probably would still be at each other's throats. He was partially at fault for Grams' death. He had terrorized her over the crystal and nearly killed her. Had Stefan not intervened, he _would _have killed her. Part of the reason she returned to Mystic Falls after Grams' death was to stop Damon Salvatore from hurting anyone else she cared about.

So why did it still feel like a sucker punch to the gut when Katherine told her that he had kissed Elena?

It didn't matter that it was actually Katherine he had kissed; it was all the same. How had she foolishly forgotten Damon's blatant obsession with Elena the past few months?

"I was leaving Elena's and he was there and …" Katherine trailed off and shrugged carelessly. "It happens. For all his faults as a mortal, damn that boy could kiss, and he's definitely gotten better with practice." She winked knowingly, as if they were sharing a big secret between friends. "But then, I'm sure you know what I mean."

"I don't care." Bonnie forced her voice to be even, forced herself not to react. She buried the odd sense of betrayal that churned like acid in her stomach. "Damon is a means to an end. I needed his Power, end of story." She felt the words ring false even as she spoke them, and she prayed Katherine didn't notice.

Katherine made a pitying face, but it was clear she was reigning in her laughter. "Of course, Bonnie. Because you and I both know that you falling in love with Damon is just crazy." She titled her head to the side, her brown eyes wide. "Isn't it?"

"You sure seem to care a lot about Damon for someone who insists she wants him dead," Bonnie pointed out. She could feel the sharp edges of the talisman cutting into her palm, but she didn't dare release it. She steadied her breathing, forcing herself to deal with Katherine and not focus on the fact that Damon had kissed Katherine thinking she was Elena.

Katherine shrugged again, wrinkling her nose. "I just want you to see that Damon Salvatore isn't your ally here, Bonnie."

"And who is? You?" Bonnie couldn't stop the sardonic smile from spreading across her lips.

"You don't get it, do you? Emily never got it either. I tried to give her the _world_," Katherine said, frustration coloring her words as her hands curled into fists. "We could have been so amazing together, but she threw it all away." Her eyes came up to look at Bonnie. They were hard and unyielding. "Don't make that mistake, Bonnie. I can give you so much more than he can. Than _anyone_ can. Don't you see? No one would be able to stop us."

Bonnie swallowed, not liking the madness lighting Katherine's eyes like twin flames. "What are you talking about?"

"Imagine a world where you didn't have to hide your abilities. A world where you were worshipped and revered for the powerful witch you are," Katherine whispered, excited. "A world where vampires didn't have to hide in the shadows."

"You mean—"

"Exactly," Katherine cut in smugly. "A world where humans knew about us, but couldn't touch us. That's what the talisman is. It would protect me forever so nothing could harm me. Not sunlight, not stakes … Emily crafted that for me. She charmed it with my blood."

Bonnie felt her jaw drop open as she was flooded with shock. "Emily made you … She made this talisman so you would be—"

"Invincible," Katherine finished triumphantly. "That charm will make it so I can never be harmed."

Bonnie suddenly felt dizzy with fear. Katherine was truly out of her mind. "Then why do you need me?"

Katherine smirked and ran a hand through her dark hair. "Brute force only gets me so far, Bonnie. Imagine the Power I could offer you if you bonded with me."

_More like the Power I could give_ you, Bonnie though grimly. "But I'm already bonded to Damon. How can I bond to more than one vampire?"

Katherine waved a dismissive hand. "Damon would have to die. Severing the bond between you with magic might be messy and I need you intact. Killing Damon is a small price to pay, wouldn't you say?"

"And Stefan?" Bonnie asked softly, remember she wanted both Salvatores dead.

"So noble and self-righteous," Katherine muttered darkly, her high temporarily blunted. "He would try to stop me, and I've been forced to wait long enough as it is. If I thought he might join me …"

Bonnie swallowed hard, shivering as the wind picked up behind her. The air was thick and heavy with impending rain.

"But we don't need them—just us, Bonnie. We would be an unstoppable team," Katherine finished, not noticing—or not caring—that Bonnie was starting to edge away from her.

"Why did Emily say no?" Bonnie asked suddenly. "Why did she betray you?"

Katherine froze for a second, rage filling her eyes. "Emily was weak. She couldn't handle the life I was offering her. She became too consumed with her humanity. I didn't want to kill her, Bonnie. I _had_ to."


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

_**Mystic Falls, 1864**_

_-August-_

The absurdity of the entire situation amused her more than angered her. Did they truly think what they were saying was a secret? His desperate attempt for her salvation was nauseatingly endearing, and Katherine tried not to laugh out loud at the sight of Damon bartering for her life with Emily.

"Please, Emily," he whispered, a ragged edge sharpening his voice. He reached out and clasped Emily's hands in his, moving even closer to her.

Katherine's eyebrows arched. The sight would be absolutely scandalous if his father rounded the corner to see his oldest son holding the hands of a servant girl in the middle of the garden. As if Damon's abandonment of the war wasn't enough of a blight on the family name, this would certainly send Giuseppe Salvatore into a rage.

Emily shifted, uneasy, as her almond shaped eyes flickered around the garden. She felt too exposed out here in the daylight where anyone could catch them. "Damon," she started, trying to pull away but he held tight. She sighed. "I know you're worried—"

"The Founder's Council is planning something," Damon ground out, his cheeks flushing from the intense heat and his mounting anger. "My father is being too secretive. If he isn't including Stefan and myself, then that means he knows about Katherine."

Emily bit her lower lip and averted her eyes, trying not to give anything away. She, too, had told Katherine only the other night she was worried about the town's elders catching on to their game. Pearl was starting to grow weary, too, but Katherine laughed it off with ease.

"He's worried we'll tell her what they're doing," Damon continued, his bright blue eyes almost translucent in the sunlight. "I have to make sure Katherine is safe. Please, Emily … I'll do anything."

Her head came up at that, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "Anything?" she pressed firmly, her tone going hard.

Katherine stiffened, not at all liking the sharpness of Emily's voice. Her hands curled around the edge of the brick wall she was peering around. The brick started to crumble to dust under her grip and she forced herself to relax.

"_Anything_," Damon promised.

"If I agree to this, I will expect you to keep your word," she said finally, the lines around her mouth tight. "There will be consequences if you break your oath."

He pressed his lips together once and bent his knees to look her in the eye. "I swear, Emily. Name your price?"

"Protect my line," she whispered.

His brow furrowed, not comprehending. Katherine gasped unnoticed. Her eyes narrowed and she felt like a fool. How had she missed it? How did she not see this coming?

"I don't—"

"I'm with child," Emily said bluntly, watching as understanding dawned on Damon's face.

He let her hands go and nodded slowly. The ring Katherine had given him days earlier glinted in the light. "Reed?"

She nodded tersely, looking away. "I, well … we …"

"Katherine told me," he murmured softly, his tone kind and calm.

"My point is, if they're after Katherine, it won't be long until they're after me," she said softly. "I can protect Katherine. I can keep her safe, but I need to make sure my children and their children are protected."

He took her hands in his once more. "I swear I will protect your family, Emily."

"Until the line ends or you die?"

"For as long as I can," he swore.

* * *

_-November-_

Katherine pulled another leaf from her hair, annoyed all over again. A month she had been forced to hide in the woods. A month she had scavenged for food, living off rodents and the occasional town visitor. Even then, she had been forced to control her appetite. After all, the town was convinced the vampires were gone. It wouldn't do to have them wondering why no visitors made it into town alive.

She had been careful and patient, but now she was on edge and ready to move on. Tonight was the night; she and Emily had agreed to meet exactly one month after the church had been burned.

The bloated moon hung low in the sky, throwing a silver light across the water of the quarry. The small hunting cabin was a few feet away, but she didn't enter yet. She could feel Emily approaching, felt her through their bond, but the signal was weak. It had been too long since they reaffirmed their bond.

Emily appeared from the path behind the house, walking carefully across the uneven ground. She stopped several yards before reaching Katherine.

"They both transitioned?" Katherine didn't bother turning.

"Stefan first, then Damon. Damon didn't want to," Emily said quietly. "He was going to let his natural death take its course."

Katherine frowned. "Really?"

"He thought you were dead," Emily explained.

Katherine turned slowly, her brows arching. "And why would he think that? I thought you were to tell them I was in the tomb."

"I did, eventually," Emily muttered. "But don't you see? Don't you see that this is wrong?"

Katherine's eyes narrowed dangerously.

Emily shifted, looking around as she pulled her thick wool cloak tighter around her body. Something in her eyes darkened. "Damon nearly killed Stefan, you know. Stefan killed their father and forced Damon to turn. They've both left Mystic Falls. This was wrong, Katherine. What you did to them was wrong. They were brothers and you pitted them against one another because you enjoyed watching them bicker. But now their emotions are too strong and they can't temper their hatred."

Katherine was in front of her in a second, her fangs descended and expression feral. "And who are _you_ to judge? You forget, Emily, how I saved you from your Master in South Carolina and all the degrading things he made you do for him while his barren wife lay asleep. You _owe_ me."

Emily swallowed hard and back up a step, nearly tripping over an exposed tree root. Her hands instinctively went to her slightly swollen stomach.

Katherine relaxed her face, trying to smile again. "This should be a happy time, Emily. You're with child. Another Bennett witch to help us."

Emily stiffened. "I won't let you use my child, Katherine."

Katherine's teeth came together hard, grinding. "_Let_ me?"

"I'm finished. I want no part of your plan," Emily whispered, the indignant anger that had been fueling her melted away. "I beg of you to leave us in peace."

"You will finish what we've begun, Emily," Katherine ordered harshly. "I've come too far to stop now."

"The talisman is gone."

Katherine froze and a feeling of panic slowly started to curl around her stomach. "What?" she hissed.

"I gave the talisman to Reed," Emily whispered, backing away slowly. "It's gone. At least for the next century and a half. The spell I used, the crystal I gave Damon … The tomb can only be opened the comet reappears. Damon has the crystal to reopen the tomb."

"You buried my talisman inside the tomb?" Katherine felt the rage rip through her and she grabbed Emily by the shoulders, pinning her against a pine tree.

"Katherine—please," Emily gasped, desperately trying to break free.

"Make another one," Katherine snapped furiously. "You will—"

"No!" Emily shouted, her exclamation loud as it bounced off the rocks around them. A white light flared in her hands and suddenly Katherine was landing on her back nearly twenty feet away.

Emily focused her energy on the stunned vampire, paralyzing her so she was motionless against the ground. Emily ran to her and dropped to the ground, pulling a small vial from the folds of her dress. She unscrewed the cap and dumped the vervain extract into Katherine's mouth. She got to her feet and started to back away, knowing that the vervain wouldn't keep Katherine down indefinitely, but it would give her enough time to flee.

Emily turned and ran as fast as she could.

* * *

_**Wrightsville, Pennsylvania, 1867**_

_-May-_

They were coming.

Emily choked down a desperate sob as she hurriedly threw more clothes into a single carpetbag she owned. The house she lived in on the outskirts of town was nearly ransacked in her desperation to flee, and she could only pray that the summoning spell she had invoked hours earlier worked.

She whirled at the harsh knock on the door. Nellie started crying from the floor and her twin, Isaiah was quick to join in.

Emily wrenched the door opened and sagged against it in relief, ignoring her crying children for the moment. "Thank God," she whispered.

Damon's eyes narrowed, his expression hard and intense. "I felt you … Did you call to me?"

"I summoned you," Emily explained. "Come in."

He stepped across the threshold and kept to the other side of the room from the wailing infants.

"I don't have much time," Emily said desperately. "They're coming. She—" She cut herself off with a hard swallow and shook her head. No, she wouldn't tell him about Katherine. Katherine was a poison to everyone she touched, and she wouldn't let another person be exposed if she could help it.

"Who's coming?" Damon demanded. His eyes glowed from the faint firelight in the hearth.

"The town. I don't know how they know about me, but they do. I can't … I can't save myself and my children. You have to take them."

His eyes went wide as he looked at the screaming children. "You want me to … What?"

"You swore to me, Damon," she reminded him harshly, grabbing his arm and flinching when she felt how cool it was to the touch. "Save my children."

"Why can't you stop them? Your Power—"

"Is gone," Emily said flatly. "Someone must have done a binding spell. It's not a very good one since I could summon you, but that seems to have taxed the last of my Power. Now I can't even levitate a feather."

"Emily," he said softly. "Let me help you."

"Take the children and run. There isn't much time." She rubbed a hand against her forehead and went to pick up Nellie. The girl kept crying, large tears sliding out from her emerald eyes. Without a word she passed the baby to Damon.

He held her away from him at first, staring hard at Nellie. His frowned deepened as Nellie quieted and simply stared at him. Her eyes, that vibrant shade of green, were intense. She seemed to comprehend more than any child should be able to. With great care he held her against his side, barely noticing when Emily pressed Isaiah to his other arm. She handed him the carpet bag next, knowing he could handle the extra burden with his increased senses.

He looked at Emily once more. "Emily—"

"_Run_," she ordered, backing away from him and raising trembling hands to her mouth. "Keep them safe."

"I promise," he said quietly. With a final look he turned and ran, disappearing into the trees less than two seconds later.

Emily sank into a chair and buried her face in her hands and waited.

* * *

Katherine smiled widely as she felt the mayor of Wrightsville slid under her Power once more. His eyes went glassy, enthralled.

"Emily Bennett," Katherine reminded him, her fingers tipping up his chin and tracing his jaw lightly. "You will stop her won't you? She's a witch. She must be burned."

"Burned," Mayor Lewis repeated numbly, starting to nod.

"Yes. She must be destroyed to save the town," Katherine reminded him gently. "Call the sheriff and deputies and go there immediately. Do not wait."

"We'll go now," he assured her, his voice dripping with awe.

Katherine smiled gently and back away, watching as the mayor turned and ran down Main Street for the sheriff. She stepped back into the shadows.

"I don't know how long the binding spell will work on someone with Emily's Power," Hettie said from beside Katherine. Her red hair was still bright in the dark.

Katherine glanced over at the witch to her left. She had found Hettie wandering around near a burned plantation outside of Richmond after Emily had run away. It had taken them both nearly two years to find Emily. Hettie didn't have nearly the Power Emily had, but she would do in a pinch and until Katherine could find a stronger witch. Besides, Hettie's mind was weak and that made her easier to control.

She didn't have to worry about Hettie betraying her as Emily had.

"It will last long enough for them to find Emily and burn her. See what happens to little witches who betray me?" Katherine said pointedly. She grinned as Hettie shrank back.

Katherine stepped away and headed back towards the house she was staying at in town. Hettie followed behind her, starting to hum a song.

Katherine sighed, hoping she would be able to find a replacement for Hettie sooner rather than later. She tired quickly of the Irish immigrant's incessant humming. She needed someone as powerful as Emily Bennett to help her finish what she had begun, but she also needed the talisman that was buried deep inside the tomb.

For now Katherine would have to wait.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Bonnie swallowed hard, trying to still the shaking of her hands before Katherine noticed. She cleared her throat a bit louder than she would have preferred, raising her chin a notch. "And Emily's children?"

Katherine shrugged. "Damon hid them. I'm not entirely sure where."

_He protected them,_ Bonnie realized slowly. _Protected them from _you.

Sighing, Katherine pivoted on her heel and walked a few paces away. She turned back slowly, her expression controlled and thoughtful. "I never wanted to hurt Emily, Bonnie. I wanted to give her the world." Her head tilted. "The same way I want to give it to you."

Bonnie blinked, racking her mind for a way to stall Katherine. She took an unsteady step backwards. "I don't … Why weren't you in the tomb?" She blurted out the first thought that entered her head.

Katherine made a face. "The tomb?"

"Stefan and Damon both saw you being dragged away, drugged," Bonnie went on quickly. "How did you escape?"

Katherine sighed, aggravated and impatient. "One of the guards was a boy I …" A slow, wicked smile curved across her red lips. "Well, he was fun, and he thought I loved him. Thought I would turn him."

"You killed him," Bonnie finished, her stomach coiling and turning to ice.

Katherine lifted a single shoulder. "Of course."

"How many innocent people have you killed to get your way?" Bonnie whispered, horrified. She started to shake her head. "Emily was your friend, and—"

"I cared deeply for Emily," Katherine cut in, her eyes narrowing marginally.

"You had her murdered!" Bonnie exploded, her green eyes flashing fire as her head snapped up. Power radiated from her as it unfurled in her chest, swelling and rising with her fear and anger. "You're out of you damn mind, and Emily knew it!"

Katherine's fangs descended and her eyes went black as night a second before she moved forward. She ran at Bonnie faster than she could anticipate, and Bonnie felt the old vampire's hand close around her throat and shoved her back. Her head connected with the wooden support column on the porch. The sharp thud of her head cracking against it resonated in her skull and her vision went black for a second.

"Don't think I won't kill you, too, Bonnie," she snarled. With barely a flick of her wrist she flung Bonnie across the porch.

The rough, weather-worn slats cut through her jeans and splinters embedded brutally into her skin. Bonnie managed to open her eyes in time to see Katherine standing triumphantly over her, the talisman firmly in her grasp. Bonnie felt blindly for her pocket and realized Katherine had ripped it clean open. She started to get to her knees only to have Katherine rush at her again.

She managed to get a hand up to block Katherine from striking her face, but Katherine's open hand knocked away Bonnie's arm with crushing force. Bonnie felt the fragile bones in her wrist break and she cried out, trying to roll away. She didn't anticipate the booted foot Katherine lashed out with that caught her in the side. Bonnie heard the sharp crack and then felt the crippling pain as it spread through her chest. She collapsed, gasping, on her side.

Katherine knelt before her, grabbing Bonnie's chin with bruising force and making her look Katherine in the eye.

"I _warned_ you, Bonnie," she hissed through clenched teeth, her chest heaving with rage. "Now look what you've made me do."

"I won't help you," Bonnie ground out, her gaze still defiant. She tried to focus, tried to summon her Power, but it was too scattered. She couldn't focus through the haze of pain. She could sense her Powers on the fringes, but she could barely breathe without pain radiating through her chest and sides. She could feel the Power moving closer, pressing against the pain, but still just out of her reach.

"I didn't want it to come to this." Katherine actually sounded sorry. She moved her hand from Bonnie's jaw to smooth her hair back before she tangled her fist in Bonnie's hair and forced it back. Bonnie's neck arched painfully, the long column of her throat exposed and vulnerable.

Desperation flooded Bonnie and she tried again for her Power, feeling it stronger now. It was becoming more vibrant, pulsing around her, but still vaguely out of reach. Katherine's lips moved to her throat, and Bonnie felt it.

Felt _him._

It wasn't her own Power that was moving closer; it was Damon's. She could feel him now as he was getting closer to her. He was moving fast, his fury nearly overwhelming her.

Katherine's fangs had just barely scratched the soft skin of Bonnie's throat when suddenly Katherine was ripped away.

Bonnie could barely see the two vampires as they collided, the force of Damon's hit knocking them through the closed front door. The door shattered in an explosion of wood and glass. She started to push herself up, but couldn't summon the strength to make her muscles cooperate.

Gasping, she let her eyes drift shut for a second as the sounds of the two vampires fighting inside the house grew louder. She felt a sudden flare of pain that she knew wasn't hers.

"Damon," she muttered, trying again to get up when a gentle hand held her down.

"Stay down, Bonnie."

Her green eyes snapped open with fear.

"It's me, it's me," Elena assured her, using her warm hands to frame Bonnie's face. Her deep brown eyes were worried and fearful as she looked up at the gaping hole where the door once stood. Another loud crash and the flinched, ducking her head.

"Katherine—" Bonnie murmured, her eyes moving slowly to the door.

"Stefan's helping Damon," Elena said softly. She started to hook an arm under Bonnie to pull her up. "We need to get you out of here."

Bonnie cried out when Elena touched her side and she immediately pulled away. "Elena, you need to go," she forced out through clenched teeth.

"I'm not leaving you," Elena hissed. She looked at the house again, biting her lower lip when she was met with silence.

Bonnie let her eyes close again and her head rest against the wooden planks. She could feel Damon in the bond, more pissed off than injured. And he was coming.

Her eyes opened a split second before she felt his cool hand against her temple. Damon's blue eyes pierced her and she watched as his hand moved away, her blood smeared on his fingertips. His eyes darkened for a split second.

"We need to get her out of here," Elena said, running a hand through her long hair. She looked up at Stefan as he came onto the porch. "Katherine—?"

"Gone," he replied softly. "Elena, Jeremy's inside."

She got to her feet, unsteady. "Is he…"

"He's alive," Stefan assured her with a weak smile. "But its daylight and we can't move him."

Elena bowed her head, breathing deeply. "OK." She looked back down at Bonnie and Damon and then knelt beside them. She looked up at Damon. "She's hurt."

He glanced up at her briefly, grimacing. "I noticed." He wiggled the fingers stained with Bonnie's blood.

"Can you get her out of here?" Stefan asked his brother quietly.

Damon nodded and lifted Bonnie into his arms before she could react. He kept his arms steady so as not to hurt her any more. Bonnie clenched her teeth to keep from crying out again. She closed her eyes and relaxed her head against his shoulder.

"Jeremy?" Damon asked pointedly.

"I'll figure out a way to get him back to the Manor," Stefan replied.

"Is she going to be OK?" Elena asked, worried.

Damon's grip tightened slightly. "I think so." He pressed his lips together and glanced down at Bonnie who was all but unconscious in his arms. He turned and ran as fast as he could for his house.

* * *

Her sharp gasp when he set her down on his bed made him flinch. He could feel her pain, palpable and consuming, through their bond. His jaw clenched when he straightened and looked down at her. Bonnie's wrist was bent at an odd angle, her jaw was bruised, and when he lifted the corner of her torn shirt, the already dark bruising across her ribs told him at least two were broken. Damn Katherine.

"Damon?" Bonnie's eyes opened slowly, the green irises glazed and unfocused. She narrowed her eyes, trying to concentrate.

"Take it easy." He smoothed a hand across her forehead and sighed. He raised his wrist to his mouth and bit into it, breaking the skin and tasting his own blood. He lowered his arm to her mouth. "Drink," he ordered gently.

Her eyes flickered up to his a split second before she raised her head a notch and placed her mouth against his arm. She let her eyes close as she started to drink. Within seconds she could feel an itching in her arm and side as the broken bones began to heal and knit back together.

After several minutes he pulled his arm away, watching as she licked the last traces of his blood from her lips.

"Better?" he asked.

She nodded once. "Thank you." Her eyes opened and she simply stared up at him for a moment.

His eyes, normally so expressive and alive were flat and hard as he looked back. His jaw was tense and she could still feel emotions roiling through him unchecked. Rage, betrayal, hurt, fear, confusion … It all swirled together dangerously.

Bonnie swallowed hard. "I can explain."

He got off the bed suddenly, stalking across the room to his dresser. "Later."

"Damon—"

He jerked open a drawer and pulled a shirt out before slamming it shut. Several bottles on the top fell over with a clatter. He turned back to her. "You need to rest. We'll talk later."

She opened her mouth to say more, but thought better of it and closed her mouth with a quick nod.

"You're clothes are trashed. Here." He thrust a black cotton shirt at her.

Bonnie took it in her hands and set it on her lap. She started to pull the hoodie and t-shirt over her head, but her arms got tangled. Her side and wrist still ached, limiting her mobility. Her arms fell back down and she looked away, not wanting to ask for help.

"Come here," Damon said softly, extending a hand to her.

Bonnie looked up, wary, and then took his hand. His fingers closed around hers and he lifted her off the bed until she was standing in front of him. He helped her pull the clothes over her head and she shivered for a second, feeling completely vulnerable in her bra and jeans.

Damon barely seemed to notice. His hands moved over her with deliberate care, his touch methodical and not at all sexual as he stripped her clothes. He unzipped her pants and worked them off her legs. Her hands fell to his shoulders for balance and she fought the urge to tangle her fingers in his dark hair. He straightened and tossed her clothes into the chair in the corner before reaching for his shirt. He pulled it over her head and stepped back.

Bonnie crossed her arms over her chest and sank back onto the edge of the bed. She toyed with the hem on the shirt where it fell mid-thigh. "Damon, I'm … I'm _sorry_."

A shadow clouded his expression for a brief second and then cleared. His face was once again an unreadable mask. "Get some sleep, Bonnie." He started for the door and hesitated before walking back to her and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. His thumb traced the fading outline of the bruise on her face, his touch light as a feather.

Bonnie's eyes slid shut and she felt a small stirring of hope. Maybe he would let her explain now. The guilt was consuming her. "Damon."

When she opened her eyes he was gone.

* * *

_**Author's Note**: I apologize for the delay. This chapter proved to be a bit harder to write than I expected, and the time just fell away. I hadn't realized this wasn't update for 3 weeks until this morning. I promise the next one won't take as long; I want to finish this before season 2 starts up._

_~Iz_


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

"I messed everything up, didn't I?" Bonnie whispered, her voice rough and raw from sleep. She bent forward at the waist, letting her hair fall across her face in a dark curtain that obscured her view. She looked down at the fading bruises on her wrist. What should have been a broken wrist was reduced to mere bruises after Damon's blood was in her system.

"Yes," Damon answered in a clipped tone. He turned away from the window across the room to stare at her, his gaze unflinching and unforgiving. "Why?"

Her eyes slid shut, guilt eating at her. "I don't—"

"Don't you _dare_," he hissed, crossing the floor of his room to the bed and looming over her. His jaw tightened with barely controlled anger.

Bonnie threw her hair back and looked up at him, feeling exposed and weak in his bed while he towered above her. She tried to block out the hurt and betrayal radiating off him through the bond, but it was useless. His pain was her pain, and what made it worse was knowing she caused it. He had begun to trust her, and she had betrayed him.

"Why, Bonnie?" he demanded.

"I thought I could stop her," Bonnie replied, looking away. "I thought I was strong enough. I could stop her and save Jeremy and Elena and …" _You_, she finished silently, unwilling to let that admission slip past her lips. She sighed and leaned back against the pillows.

"And?" he pushed, not willing to let her off the hook so easily. His eyebrows arched expectantly.

Her eyes met his once more, and she squared her shoulders. "Did you kiss Katherine thinking she was Elena?"

Decades of practice kept the surprise off his face, but he couldn't hide it so easily in the bond. His eyes narrowed fractionally and the lines around his mouth tightened.

"That has nothing to do with this," Damon announced abruptly.

"Yes, it does," she challenged, fisting her hands in the sheets and glaring up at him. "Are you in love with Elena?"

He made a face. "Bonnie—"

"Are you in love with Elena?" she forced out through clenched teeth once more.

He hesitated a second before he sighed and looked away. "No."

Bonnie snorted softly and started to get out of bed. "Sure, Damon. Of course you're not." She swung her bare legs over the side of the bed, wondering where the hell her clothes had gone. He must have taken them out of the room because they weren't on the chair anymore. If need be she would leave this house in only Damon's shirt to get away.

Damon's hands closed over her upper arms, holding her in place but not hurting. He stared hard into her eyes, unflinching. He lowered his face until his nose was brushing hers. "I'm not in love with Elena."

"Then why did you kiss her?"

He blinked twice. "It's complicated."

"_Un_complicate it then," she challenged, leaning forward slightly. She lifted her hands to touch his where he still held her by the shoulders.

"I thought … I thought Elena might be what I wanted. She represented something unattainable to me," he said with a defeated sigh as he eased onto the side of bed. "Something pure and untainted. I knew it would never work between us, but the idea of someone like her…"

Bonnie stiffened and leaned back, her jaw set. "Whereas someone like _me_, someone just as messed up—"

His eyes widened and he started to backtrack. "That's not what I meant at all."

She knocked his hands off her shoulders, annoyed now. "No, no. I get it. Trust me, Damon, I _get_ it. It's always been Elena."

He sighed, frustrated, and raked a hand through his disheveled dark locks. "You don't—"

"No, I _do_. We all play our roles here: Elena's always been the sweet, innocent one that everyone falls in love with. Caroline is the beautiful, popular one that everyone wants to be around. And I'm … I'm the _sidekick_."

He couldn't stop the smile that tugged at his lips. "Sidekick?"

"You know," Bonnie pressed, exhaling hard. She pushed her hair away from her face. "The peppy, quirky friend. The _reliable_ one."

Damon shook his head, even more amused now. He raised a hand to her face, tracing the soft sweep of her cheekbone. "You really don't get it, do you?"

Her brow furrowed even as she subconsciously leaned into his touch. "I think—"

He silenced her with a kiss. It was softer and less insistent than his usual kisses, taking the time to tease her lips open. Her hands came up to the front of his gray t-shirt, fisting in the soft cotton to pull him closer. His tongue touched hers, lightly stroking against hers and exploring in the inside of her mouth as he tasted her fully. She moaned quietly, feeling him smile against her lips in response.

Dizzy from the lack of air, Bonnie pulled back for a split second to suck in a sharp lungful. She leaned forward to kiss him again, craving the connection of his skin against hers. She frowned when he moved away, simply pressing a chaste kiss to her forehead.

"Now do you get it?"

Her frown deepened. "You like kissing me?"

He laughed. "That, and I _like_ that you aren't Elena. Or Caroline," he added as an afterthought with a small frown and a fake shudder that made her crack a smile. He shook his head. "The point is, one of the reasons I fell in love with Katherine was that she wasn't some weak girl who needed saving."

Bonnie arched a brow. "You're comparing me to that psychotic bitch?"

"Back then I was used to women throwing themselves at my feet. If not for my father's money then for my looks—"

She snorted and laughed. "Right."

He flashed her a quick glare. "There was no challenge. The damsel in distress thing is Stefan's idea of fun, and I am _not_ my brother. I'm no one's hero. I don't want to constantly have to save someone. I need someone who can hold her own."

"You had to save me today," she pointed out darkly.

"Yes," he hedged, "but if it had been Elena going against Katherine we would be planning a funeral right now. You're stronger than you think, Bonnie."

She caught her lower lips between her teeth, hating herself for her insecurities. "So you really don't love Elena."

His eyes shut briefly. "No. I do not love Elena." His fingers toyed with a few strands of her hair.

There was no lie there, no matter how hard she searched for it. Even if the earnest look in his eyes was fake, he couldn't manipulate the bond like that and they both knew it.

She wilted slightly before him. "Katherine?"

"Do you think I would have attacked Katherine if I still loved her?" He snorted and rolled his eyes.

Relief crushed her and she released a breath she hadn't known she was holding. The sudden influx of fresh air made her dizzy. "Damon—"

He leaned forward, his hands framing her face. "I don't know what _this_ is, Bonnie. But I don't love Elena or Katherine."

She clicked her teeth together, a nervous habit she had developed as a child that used to drive her mother crazy. Drawing in a shaky breath, she looked him in the eye. "I don't know what this is either. But I am sorry if I hurt you."

His brows drew together. "Don't do it again."

She rolled her eyes and nodded against his hands. "I won't."

He smiled tightly and let her face go.

Bonnie sighed. "Not that it matters. Katherine has the talisman _and_ now we both know I'm not strong enough to stop her."

"Says who?" Damon asked, his eyes starting to glitter.

"OK, Katherine kicked my ass without the talisman," she reminded him. "I really think that we established that she can destroy me whenever she wants."

"I wouldn't say that."

She started to shake her head. "Damon—"

"_Bonnie_," he countered, a teasing lilt in his voice. He tilted his head to one side and studied her.

After several heavy seconds of silence she threw her hands up into the air. "What?"

"I'd say we have Katherine where we want her."

"With the talisman?"

He winced. "OK, that's unfortunate, but not a lost cause."

"She told me what it does. The talisman? I know what she's planning," Bonnie said quietly. Her eyes met his. "She's even crazier than you think."

"Oh, I have a pretty active imagination," he replied lightly, but his eyes darkened.

"It's an infinity talisman that Emily created solely for Katherine. It makes her invincible. The ring protects her from sunlight, but this talisman makes it impossible to kill her. She can't die as long as she has it."

"Well that sucks," he sighed, "and it complicates things."

"She wants to come out," Bonnie continued softly.

"Of the closet?" He smirked. "You know she and Pearl always did have—"

"To the world," Bonnie cut in, not amused. "She doesn't like living in the shadows, pretending to be a mortal when she's so much more. Nothing can stop her now that she has the talisman."

"World domination," he muttered darkly, getting off the bed.

Bonnie scrambled off the bed behind him, following him to the window. "This is my fault, Damon. I'm sorry."

He nodded slowly, his back still to her. "I know you are. We need a plan." He turned slowly and looked at her, starting at her bare feet. His gaze traveled up to where his shirt fell against the top of the thighs, his eyes lingering on the feminine flare of her hips and roving even higher up until he met her eyes.

"It's going to have to be a good plan," she pointed out unnecessarily, not at all bothered by his heated gaze. She took a step closer to him, her chest nearly brushing his.

His lips curved into a wicked smirk. "Oh, it will be. I have an idea."

"Care to share?"

"First things first," he started slowly, "you need to get dressed. Elena and Stefan are on their way back with Jeremy."

"Where are my clothes?"

He smiled. "I ran to your house while you were sleeping and got a change for you. It only took a minute." He moved around her and picked up a black duffel bag she hadn't noticed in the corner before. He handed it to her.

Bonnie tossed it onto the bed and unzipped the bag, pulling out jeans, a red t-shirt and—

"Seriously?" she asked incredulously, holding up the sheer black lace bra and matching French cut panty set. It was by far the sexiest pair of underwear she owned. She had splurged on them a few months back and then promptly tucked them underneath all her practical, cotton bras and panties.

Damon barely blinked. "What? I found those in your drawer."

"Sure you did," she laughed, shaking her head.

His head tilted to one side, hearing something she couldn't. "They're here." He started for the door.

"Damon?"

He paused and turned back, a look of serene innocence still on his face.

Still holding her underwear, she walked slowly across the room to him. She tilted her face up to his. "You better not rip these, Damon."

His grin was instantaneous and he started to back away from her. "I wouldn't dream of it."


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

"You need to focus."

Bonnie snorted. It was easy for Damon to tell her to focus, but she could do anything but with the way his hand was curved around her hip and his lips were less than an inch from the shell of her ear.

"You know every time he touches you, your pulse races," Jeremy quipped from his seat on the couch across the room.

Exhaling hard, Bonnie stepped away from Damon and let her concentration fully shatter as she glared at her best friend's younger, and now immortal, brother. In the week since Bonnie had confronted Katherine and Jeremy had been rescued, things had been oddly quiet. Katherine was laying low which worried them all the more. A dormant Katherine meant she was planning something explosive.

Jeremy, now less volatile, was slowly adjusting to life as a vampire. The steaming cup of blood in his hands that Stefan had shown him how to heat up in a microwave was a good substitute for the college co-ed on summer break he had nearly devoured five days earlier. Stefan hadn't even broached the idea of animal blood over human blood. He knew it was a victory just to get Jeremy to drink from a bag of donated hospital blood.

"Why are you here?" Bonnie demanded, throwing her hands up and ignoring the way Damon had started to chuckle.

He made a face and crossed his ankle over his knee. "Elena and Stefan needed some alone time. Her words."

Damon laughed harder now, moving from behind Bonnie to the bar where his own mug of blood sat. He took a small drink, eyeing her over the rim. She was once again struck by the absurdity of the situation.

In the last week she had all but moved into the Salvatore Manor, and if Stefan or Elena had an opinion about her spending almost every night in Damon's room, neither one had the nerve to say anything. Jeremy had also moved in, and Elena was in limbo trying to balance life with the supernatural and the human life she lived with Jenna. Jenna, who was starting to reluctantly believe Jeremy had run off thanks largely to a phone call the teen had made on a prepaid, untraceable cell phone. With Jeremy gone, Jenna had latched onto Elena even tighter, making it tricky for Elena to be gone for long.

Bonnie's father had extended his business trip by an extra week which kept her from making any excuses as to why she was never home. In truth, she felt calmer when Damon was around. Their bond was more in balance when they were in closer proximity to one another.

She moved to get her own bottle of water. She tried not to think about the fact the she no longer batted an eye when Damon reached for one of the bags of blood he kept stored in the freezer or Stefan went out to scavenge for his own dinner.

A dull ache had settled behind her eyes from all the concentrating she had been doing. Damon was trying to teach her a way to compartmentalize her feelings. Feelings like pain, which was what had stopped her from doing any damage against Katherine the last time they had met. If she could learn to block out her pain, then it didn't matter how many bones Katherine broke in her body.

Well, to an extent.

Jeremy drained the last of his cup and looked expectantly at Damon. "Can we go out when it gets dark?"

Bonnie hid a smile and glanced at Damon to see how he'd reply. Damon had told he didn't quite know what to make of the way Jeremy had seemed to gravitate towards him. Even Jeremy's new wardrobe of black shirts and dark wash jeans was eerily similar to Damon's own style.

"We'll see," Damon answered noncommittally. He moved to where Bonnie was leaning against the bookcase with her eyes shut and rested a hand against the back of her neck, kneading the taut skin her found there.

"See? Your heart rate jumped again," Jeremy announced, smiling widely.

Bonnie's eyes opened into thin slits, glaring at him. "Jeremy—"

Jeremy sniffed deeply. "Your blood smells different, too."

"It's because she's a witch," Damon told him with an eye roll, his fingers pressing firmly against the base of her skull now.

"Does it taste better?" Jeremy asked innocently, but his eyes had taken on a dark hue that belied his true nature.

Bonnie stiffened instinctively, her breath catching for a fraction of a second and she could feel Damon's irritation rising through the bond.

"Why don't you go … somewhere else?" Damon suggested, his tone cool as his blue eyes cut to where Jeremy was lounging.

Jeremy didn't seem to catch on that Damon's suggestion was more of an order than a suggestion. He rested his head on the back of the cushions, his eyes looking up. "Nah. I can't take another ABC Daytime marathon."

"Then read a book." Damon's voice took on a harder, more insistent edge that made Jeremy slowly get up and walk out of the room, but he was still smiling as he looked between them.

"I get it," he drawled slowly, his dark eyes shining with ill concealed mirth. "You two need some _alone time_, too."

Damon's responding growl was almost muffled by Bonnie's chuckle as Jeremy skirted out of the room and headed for the stairs, loping up them two at a time.

Bonnie let her eyes slid closed again, moaning quietly as Damon added his other hand to the massage. The movements of his hands combined with the coolness of his skin helped the headache recede faster.

After a second his lips found the soft skin of her throat, his hands sliding down her arms to snake around her waist and pull her back flush to his front. She arched the column of her throat, the implication there. They had exchanged blood several times in the last week but in smaller doses. It was enough to keep the bond strong and secure between them.

She felt his fangs scratch the side of her neck, his tongue quickly soothing the offended area as he lifted a hand to palm one of her breasts. He kneaded the soft flesh slowly, enjoying the way she arched into his touch. His hand slid higher to the 'V' of her t-shirt and was about to slip inside when her phone started to ring.

"Don't answer it," he ordered, kissing the underside of her jaw.

"It might be my dad," she reminded him breathlessly. She twisted in his arms fast enough to press her mouth against his in a hard kiss that she broke entirely too soon for his liking.

"_Tease_," he retorted, watching the sway of her hips as she crossed the room and answered the phone. He drained the last of the blood in his cup, grimacing as it went down at a cooler temperature than he preferred.

"Hello?" Bonnie was smiling as she answered the phone and winked at him. Her grin only went wider when he glared back.

After several seconds, her smile fell away and she sank onto the couch, her mouth falling open. "When?"

Damon frowned, letting his heightened senses take over as he eavesdropped on her call.

"_She just woke up," Sheriff Forbes was saying, her voice shaking with relief. "The doctors think she's going to be fine even though she was in the coma for so long."_

"That's great," Bonnie replied, sighing. "Can I come and see her?"

"_Of course. She would love that. Matt's here."_

Bonnie glanced up at Damon, smiling as he nodded at her. "I'll be right over." She hung up the phone, all smiles now. "She's going to be OK."

"I'll go with you," he replied, starting for the stairs. "Let me tell Stefan we're going."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Bonnie asked as he made it to the stairs. He turned to see her standing in the doorway.

"I mean," she continued with an uneasy look, "you and Caroline in the same room?"

He scowled at her. "You're not going alone. We have no idea what Katherine's doing or where she is. I'm not letting you out of my sight."

Unable to hide the small smile tugging at her lips she shrugged. "OK. Let's go."

It took less than a second for him to get to Stefan's door. The knocked and immediately opened the door with waiting for a reply, clamping a hand dramatically over his eyes.

"Everyone in here decent?" he asked with a smirk. He dropped his hand, frowning when he noted they were seated, fully clothed, on top of Stefan's bed.

"It's customary to wait for someone to answer before you barge in," Stefan commented dryly, shaking his head as he exchanged glances with Elena.

Damon's frown deepened. "Please. Like you'd be doing something I haven't seen or done better myself."

Elena sighed and looked over her shoulder at Damon. "What do you want?"

He leaned against the doorframe, studying them. "You two seem even more doom-and-gloom than normal. What's wrong now?"

"It's complicated," Stefan cut in before Elena could say anything, but the stress lines around his mouth were still evident. "Did you need something?"

"Good news, actually," Damon said, opting not to pry any further. "Caroline woke up."

"Oh, my God," Elena gasped, getting off the bed. She pushed her long hair out of her eyes. "Is she OK?"

"Seems like it," he replied. "Bonnie and I are going over to the hospital to see her. You two are on Jeremy detail."

"Do you think it's a good idea to leave the house when we don't know where Katherine is?" Stefan asked slowly, his green eyes dark and reflective. "This could be the opening she's been waiting for."

Damon clapped a hand over his chest. "I'm touched by your concern, little brother, but I think Bonnie and I can handle her if we have to. It's a quick trip. We'll be back in an hour or so." He turned and hurried back down the hall before they could reply.

* * *

"I _hate_ hospitals," Bonnie muttered as they made their way through the garishly lit hall. The fluorescent lighting wasn't flattering on either of their skin tones.

"We'll make it quick," Damon said, keeping his eyes sharp as they moved past a nurse and orderly. His hand moved to her lower back, guiding her around a corner and down two doors before they reached room 216.

Bonnie raised her hand and knocked hesitantly even though the door was open a few inches already and they could hear voices inside. She pushed the door open, smiling when she saw Caroline propped up against a mountain of pillows. Matt was in the seat beside the bed and Tyler was leaning casually against the far wall near the window. All three turned and stared as Bonnie entered. Damon hung back in the entrance a bit.

"Hi," Bonnie greeted warmly, hurrying across the room to hug Caroline gently.

"Hey, yourself," Caroline greeted. She beamed up at Bonnie when she pulled back.

Bonnie smoothed the blonde hair back from Caroline's face, hating the dull sheen it had taken on while Caroline lay unconscious for weeks. "How do you feel?"

Caroline pulled a face and Tyler and Matt started to laugh.

Bonnie glanced around at them. "What's so funny?"

"She's been bitching for the last hour about wanting a shower and a makeup table," Tyler informed Bonnie with a grin.

"Even though she already looks gorgeous," Matt added sweetly, winking at Caroline. He took her hand in his and kissed the back of it.

Bonnie could feel Damon's amusement rolling through the bond as he bit back a snarky reply. She controlled the urge to turn around and smack him.

"Thank you," Caroline said with a shy grin. The smile slipped away as she glanced back at Bonnie, once again Princess Caroline Forbes that would never be seen with a hair out of place or anything less than five coats of lip gloss. "But seriously, Bon, I need a mirror. Two weeks in a coma is doing nothing for my complexion. I've missed two crucial weeks to get a base tan for the summer. Now I'll have to…" She trailed off, her eyes going wide as she focused on a spot behind Bonnie.

Bonnie didn't have to turn to see it was Damon that Caroline was suddenly fixated on. She felt Damon close in behind her.

"Caroline," he greeted, nodding. "Glad you're OK."

Caroline blinked once. "What the hell are you doing here, Damon?" she demanded, her mouth falling open.

Matt's eyes moved warily to stare at Damon, not relishing the idea of a confrontation with the oldest Salvatore brother, but also not willing to let Caroline be uncomfortable in any way. Even Tyler stiffened against the wall as he glared at Damon.

"Oh, my God," Caroline gasped, her gaze moving rapidly between Bonnie and Damon. "Did you two come _together_?"

Bonnie winced. "Caroline—"

Caroline held up a hand to silence her. After a beat she glanced over at Tyler and Matt. "Give us a sec, OK? Girl talk."

Matt got off the chair and moved to the door with Tyler. They both stopped when they noticed Damon wasn't following.

Bonnie turned, sensing he didn't want to leave her unprotected for even a second. She could see the unease in his pale eyes as he looked at her.

"I'll be fine," she said softly so only he could hear.

He gave her a single nod and followed Matt and Tyler out, but he didn't latch the door shut behind him. He didn't want any barriers in case he needed to get inside the room quickly.

Sighing, Bonnie steeled herself for Caroline's verbal assault as she walked around the bed and sank into the chair Matt had vacated.

"Are you out of your _freaking_ mind, Bonnie?" Caroline started, her blue eyes wide with disbelief. "Damon Salvatore? Are you _crazy_?"

"It's complicated, Car," she replied, lacing her fingers together. "But trust me, he isn't what you think."

"He's a psychopath!" Caroline spluttered, her hands waving wildly. "Bonnie, he's a complete jerk."

"You don't know him the way I do," Bonnie replied honestly.

Caroline arched a single brow. "Oh, really? Did something change in the two long weeks I was unconscious?"

"Yes," Bonnie answered softly. She hated not being able to tell Caroline the whole truth, but it was the only way to keep her safe. "Look, I wish I could explain it, but I barely understand it myself. I just need you to trust me."

Caroline's shoulders sagged against the pillows, her lips forming a pout. "But Bonnie—"

"Do you trust me?" Bonnie pressed, raising her eyebrows expectantly.

Caroline sighed and looked away, giving in. "You know I trust you. You're my best friend. I only want the best for you, which, for the record? I don't think is Damon. And I reserve the right to say 'I told you so' when this thing blows up in your face."

"Don't you mean _if_?" Bonnie teased, starting to smile.

Caroline's lips twitched, but she forced a scowl on her pretty face. "No, I don't." She meet Bonnie gaze and shook her head slowly and then yawned.

Bonnie was immediately on her feet. "You need your rest."

"No, no, no," Caroline whined petulantly. "All I've done is rest. I'm a fully rested girl." She yawned again even as she said it.

Bonnie leaned over the bed and kissed her friend's brow quickly. "I'll call you tomorrow, OK?"

"OK," Caroline muttered, her eyelids drooping. "Can you ask Matt to come back in?"

"Sure," Bonnie agreed as she made it to the door and pulled it all the way open. Damon was standing beside it and gave her a tight lipped smile when she came out.

Matt was leaning against the opposite wall with Tyler. He pushed off it as soon as Bonnie opened the door.

"She's tired," Bonnie told him, "but she wanted you to come back in."

Matt smiled, grateful, and went back inside. Tyler started to follow him, brushing past Bonnie as he went, their hands touching.

Bonnie gasped, her eyes going wide as a vision surprised her. It flashed through her mind in a second and was gone, but her hand tingled like she had been electrocuted where Tyler had touched her. Her eyes went to his and found his just as wide as her own.

"What?" Damon demanded, his tone hard as he came up behind Bonnie.

Shaking her hand out, Bonnie forced a laugh. "It's nothing."

"Yeah," Tyler said slowly, glancing down at his own hand. He looked back at her, confusion etched into his features. "I'll see you later, Bonnie."

"Later," she murmured as he went back into the room.

"OK, what the hell was—"

"I don't know," Bonnie replied, turning as she answered Damon. "It was almost like when I touched Stefan for the first time. Just a flash, but…"

"But what?" Damon pressed, bending slightly to meet her at eye level. He settled a hand possessively on her hip.

"I can't explain it. It was just an impression, but I don't think…" She broke off and started to laugh, shaking her head. "I must be going crazy. It was almost like Tyler wasn't … _human_."

Damon straightened, his eyes wide and predatory as he focused on the open door to Caroline's room.

Bonnie pressed a hand against his chest. "Not a vampire," she assured him softly. "Just something else. I can't figure it out. He's not a threat to us."

"You're sure?" His eyes went back to hers.

She nodded quickly. "I'm sure. In fact, I don't think even Tyler knows what he is."

"OK." He sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Can we go?"

She nodded, staying close to him as they made their way back out of the hospital. They had just reached the main entrance when Damon stopped short all of the sudden, making a quick grab for one of the newspaper stands by the door.

"Perfect," he muttered, his eyes scanning it quickly. He looked up at her, unable to hide his excitement.

"I don't—"

"It's June nineteenth," he informed her.

"OK." Bonnie nodded slowly, still not catching on.

"The summer solstice is the twenty-first. In two days."

"I still don't—"

His mouth tightened for a fraction of a second, mildly annoyed. "Do you remember what I told you about witches being able to draw additional Power from a celestial event?"

Realization began to dawn on her. "Right."

"Summer solstice is when the sun is in the sky the longest. The sun weakens vampires." His brows arched expectantly.

"I could draw Power from the sun that day," Bonnie said slowly, starting to grin.

Damon smirked knowingly. "Probably enough Power to stop Katherine once and for all."


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

"You're forgetting two key things," Bonnie argued as Damon pushed open the door to his house. He waited for her to come in behind him before closing the door and turning to stare at her. He folded his arms across his chest, his eyebrows raised expectantly as he waited for her to shoot down his idea.

"One? Katherine has the talisman," she went on pointedly, ticking off the reasons on her fingers. "And two? Even if she didn't have the talisman, the ring Emily made her makes her immunes to the sun."

"So Katherine has one of those rings, too?" Jeremy interrupted as he came downstairs by sliding down the banister. He landed lightly on the balls of his feet, looking intently at Bonnie. "You're a witch—can you make me one of those?"

Bonnie blinked, surprised by his sudden appearance. "What? No." She sighed loudly, annoyed by his sudden presence.

Jeremy's face fell. "I thought you were this all powerful—"

"OK, we're in the middle of something," Damon cut him off abruptly, smiling thinly. "Do you mind?"

Jeremy held up his hands in surrender. "Jesus. I was just saying… Chill out, bro."

"_Chill out_?" Damon repeated, the words dripping like acid from his mouth. His eyes hardened. "Seriously, _dude_?"

Jeremy swallowed and looked to Bonnie for help as he took a reflexive step back.

"He didn't mean anything by it," Bonnie tried, laying a hand against Damon's arm. She pressed her lips together and looked knowingly at him.

Still annoyed, Damon spun of his heel and shook off Bonnie's hand as he headed towards the living room.

"Geez, what's his problem?" Jeremy asked, his eyes following where Damon had stalked off to.

"It's—"

"Complicated?" Jeremy finished with a sarcastic laugh. "Yeah. You guys throw that word around a lot around here. I think I'll go back to my General Sucks-pital marathon." He started back up the stairs, moving to the side as Elena and Stefan started down.

Elena hit the landing first, going immediately to Bonnie. "How's Caroline?" Her lips were curved into a half smile, but there was a profound sadness in her eyes that never seemed to quite go away these days.

"Seems fine. She wanted a shower and her make up," Bonnie added with a smile.

Elena nodded with a quick grin. "Sounds just like Caroline."

"What's with Damon?" Stefan asked quietly, looking across the open downstairs to where his older brother was staring out the bay window.

"He's just pissed that I poked a bunch of holes in his otherwise infallible plan to take down Katherine," Bonnie replied sarcastically, raising her voice with each word to make sure he heard her.

Damon turned from the window and glared at her. "It will work."

Groaning, Bonnie started towards him. "The talisman—"

"Could you try a summoning spell? Maybe get it back that way?" Damon cut her off, meeting her halfway across the room. He stopped inches from her, angling his face down to look at her.

She tilted her face up, her nose scrunching as she thought. "Maybe. But if I take the talisman, Katherine will come right for me."

"For _us_," he corrected with a smile.

"So you want me to lure her here by taking the talisman back?" Bonnie asked, folding her arms over her chest.

"Exactly," Damon said, grinning. "We'll make _her_ come to _us_."

"And her ring?"

"Katherine doesn't wear a ring," Stefan added as he and Elena came into the room. "She has a necklace."

"Easy enough for me to rip off her throat just before we kill her," Damon replied.

"But you'd have to get close enough to do that, right?" Elena pressed, her tone nervous as she looked back and forth between Stefan and Damon. "Isn't Katherine stronger than both of you?"

"She's older, so yes," Stefan confirmed quietly. "She's stronger."

"But not much older," Damon pointed out.

Stefan sighed and made a face. "She's at least a century and a half older. Possibly more."

"Whatever," Damon dismissed with a wave of his hand, "We proved last week that she has a harder time taking on both of us at the same time. Add Bonnie's Power to the mix…"

Stefan looked at Bonnie. "You up for this?"

"Of course she is," Damon answered for her, shooting Stefan a bored look.

Bonnie rolled her eyes and looked at Stefan. "Damon wants to use the summer solstice so I can use the sun's power to weaken her."

Stefan rubbed his jaw. "That might actually work."

"Why do you sound so surprised? Of course it will work," Damon retorted. His eyes flashed with annoyance again.

Bonnie shook her head. "OK, so we get Katherine here and by some miracle she doesn't have her talisman or magic necklace. Then I what? Channel the energy of the sun to weaken her enough so one of you can get close enough to stake her?"

"Yes," Damon said, his eyes lighting up with anticipation. He rubbed his hands together.

"What if it rains?" Elena asked after a second. Her eyes widened when all three sets of eyes swung in her direction. She took a step back. "I mean, doesn't this plan rely on Bonnie's ability to use the sun? If the sun isn't shining…"

Stefan rubbed his eyes. "Tell me you checked the weather."

"Did I check the weather? Of course … I mean," he sighed, rolling his eyes to the ceiling. "Fine. Get the damn paper."

"Clear skies the next five days," Jeremy announced, coming into the room with his cell phone extended and displaying the latest WeatherBug forecast from his smart phone.

"See?" Damon said pointedly at Stefan. He flashed a triumphant smirk at his younger brother.

Jeremy turned his phone off and shoved it deep into the pocket of his jeans. "How can I help?"

"Jer, no," Elena began, shaking her head as she cast a worried look at Stefan. "You can't."

"Why the hell not?" he demanded flatly, glaring at her. He glanced at Stefan and Damon. "Three vamps against her are better than two, right?"

"But you're just—"

"I'm not a kid, Elena," he snapped, his hands balling into fists. "Like it or not, I'm not just going to sit by on the sidelines."

"Oh, yes," Damon started, eyes flashing, "you are."

"But—"

"You have no idea what Katherine is capable of," Damon cut him off, his expression lethal. "The last thing I need to worry about is a baby vampire with a hero complex."

Jeremy's jaw dropped open in stunned embarrassment a second before rage started to take over. His fangs descended as his eyes darkened.

"Jeremy!" Elena shouted as Stefan reached out and pulled her forcefully behind him just before Jeremy dove at Damon.

A second before Jeremy hit Damon, he staggered and went down, clutching his head as his face crumpled with agony. He rolled onto his back, gasping from the pain.

Bonnie stepped in front of Damon, her gaze intent on Jeremy. After another beat, she lessened the flow of Power until it stopped completely. She let out a long breath, rolling her shoulders.

Jeremy slowly got to his feet, his eyes huge. "What was _that_?" he asked.

"That was me stopping you from doing something stupid," Bonnie replied bluntly. She arched an eyebrow. "Are you finished having a temper tantrum?"

He clenched his jaw and nodded.

"Good," Bonnie said softly. "Now, there _is_ something you can do to help out."

His eyes snapped up as Elena, again, started to argue.

"Bonnie, he can't be anywhere near Katherine," Elena said sharply, shoving her hair out of her eyes.

"I agree," Bonnie said gently, kindly. "But neither can you."

Elena frowned. "What?"

Damon chuckled and nodded at Bonnie. "Not a bad idea."

"What isn't?" Elena's gaze swung between them, her expression confused.

"You and Jeremy stay somewhere else. Jeremy can help protect you if Katherine … If we can't stop her," Bonnie said. She bit the inside of her cheek, not bothering to mention that if they failed Katherine could easily overpower Jeremy. She looked at Jeremy, glad to see some of the spark back in his eyes as they gave him his own mission.

"I can do that," Jeremy said, squaring his shoulders.

Elena sighed. "OK." Her fingers laced with Stefan's. "I'd rather be with _you_."

He raised her hand to his lips, kissing the back of it. "I know. But this will be easier if I know you're safe." He wound an arm around her shoulders as she leaned against his arm.

"God, could you two _be_ more dramatic?" Damon grimaced as if he had eaten something sour.

"Jealous?" Elena teased, glancing at him with her head still tucked against Stefan's shoulder.

He blinked innocently. "I don't know. Bonnie? Are we jealous?" His gaze swung to her, his lips already curved into a wicked smirk.

Bonnie rolled her eyes and sighed. "Shut up, Damon."

* * *

"I can't believe this will all be over in two days," Bonnie murmured as her fingers traced the back of Damon's hand. It was past two in the morning and they have finally gone back to Damon's room, but sleep eluded them both. Damon had leaned back against the headboard and pillows, Bonnie reclining against his body by pressing her back to his front.

"One way or another," he agreed, his free hand tracing the bare skin of her thigh just beneath the hemline of oversized shirt she wore. _His_ shirt.

"My dad comes home the day after that," she realized aloud. A sinking feeling coiled tightly in her belly. "I guess I'll have to think about going back home."

Damon was silent for a long time, but his hand grew still against her leg. "Yeah. I guess so," he confirmed quietly. He couldn't mask the sudden feeling of unease and annoyance that flared up in the bond.

"I can't believe it's only been like, three weeks since this whole mess started," she muttered. "Feels like a lifetime."

"Yeah." He was being abnormally quiet tonight, and she could feel the unease growing in him with each passing second.

"But that means things will go back to normal. I can go home, Elena will go home, and life will be like it was before Katherine came here," she went on, trying to make sense of the growing ball of ice that had lodged in her stomach.

"Right."

She twisted suddenly, her green eyes meeting his pale ones. The conflict in her eyes startled him. "Why am I more scared of things going back to normal than I am of taking down Katherine?"

He raised a hand, tangling it in her hair. "The bond. We exchanged blood a lot over a short amount of time. It made the bond more … intense."

"Humans and vampire bond all the time, though, right?"

He shook his head. "Not usually. And it typically takes years to make a bond this strong. But add in your Power and mine…"

"Will all of this go away?" she asked, faltering over the words as she hesitated. "I mean, once I'm not here and we're not …Will the bond go away?"

"Mostly," he said softly, smoothing her hair away from her face.

A corner of her mouth hooked up. "So I can go back to hating you?"

He chuckled softly. "If you want."

Her smile slipped as she suddenly realized that wasn't what she wanted at all. Somewhere along the way, she had started to have feelings for him that, try as she might, she could dismiss as part of the bond.

Damon's eyes darkened, his hand cupping the back of her head to urge her down. His lips moved slowly against hers, drawing out the kiss as much as he could. "We don't have to think about that tonight."

"Good," Bonnie replied, her voice barely above a whisper as she lay back down. She rested her head against his chest, feeling the cool skin beneath the thin cotton of his shirt. His arm tightened around her shoulders for a fraction of a second, reassuring her.

But nothing could stop the thoughts in her head, and the sinking realization that in three days their fight with Katherine would be over. And whatever life she had carved out with Damon would be over, too.

That scared her more than the thought of facing down a hundred vampires.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

The faint golden light surrounding the thick silver band with an onyx stone in its center slowly faded into obscurity as Bonnie leaned back. A pleased smile curved across her lips as she realized she had barely felt any drain on her Power at all. She let the Power she had summoned slide away as she turned her face to the window.

The bright sunlight seemed to contrast to how desperate the day was. The day of the solstice. She would summon Katherine in a few short hours. This would all be over one way or another before the day was done. The realization brought about a resigned sort of comfort.

"You didn't have to do that," Damon said from where he was leaning against the doorframe watching her. His eyes were narrowed in a scowl.

Bonnie looked over at him from where she sat on in the center of his bed, her legs tucked up under her body. "I wanted to. Besides, if something happens—"

"_Nothing_ is going to go wrong," Damon interrupted her firmly.

She looked away. "You can't be sure of that. At least this way Jeremy will have a shot at a semblance of normalcy. Maybe he can keep Elena safe if we can't."

"Fine. But you didn't need to waste your Power like that," he said tersely, his eyes cold.

Bonnie got off the bed, feeling the waves of unease roiling between them. He was nervous, and Damon didn't handle nervous well. She crossed the room and stopped inches from him, turning her face up to look at him. Her lips pressed together tightly for a fraction of a second before she reached for his hands.

Straightening, he frowned slightly as she placed his hands on either side of her face and held them there. Her green eyes were wide as she stared up at him.

"It didn't drain me at all, Damon," she assured him softly. "I'm stronger now." The added blood he had given her last night had assured that.

His thumb swept across the curve of her cheek, his gaze unreadable. He sighed after a second and pressed his lips against her forehead quickly before pulling away as Jeremy rounded the corner.

Bonnie extended the ring to him and watched as his dark eyes lit up.

"Seriously?" he asked, unable to stop the grin that spread across his fingers. Bonnie suddenly remembered his fifth birthday when Elena had gotten him the Tonka truck he had been wanting for weeks. He had smiled like that then, too. A smile full of innocence and joy that made her heart twist for the days when all their lives were simpler.

Her eyes found Damon's over Jeremy's shoulder, knowing by the way his eyes tightened he felt her momentary pang of remorse.

Jeremy slid the ring onto his finger and brushed past Bonnie to go stand in front of the window. Still smiling, he held his hands up to the light. He looked back at her. "No burning."

Chuckling, Bonnie nodded. "That's the whole point."

Jeremy rushed at her, moving faster than possible for a human. He grabbed her in his arms and hugged her, lifting her off her feet as he squeezed.

"OK, Jeremy," she said, still laughing. Then she sucked in a sharp breath as his grip tightened a bit and pain blossomed across her chest. "Jer—"

Jeremy's arms were suddenly gone and Bonnie had the vague sensation of stumbling for a second before she was set to rights. She blinked and Jeremy had been shoved into the far corner and Damon was between them.

Jeremy's eyes were wide and apologetic. "I didn't … Bonnie, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to grab you so hard."

Bonnie put a hand on Damon's back, feeling the tight muscles through his shirt as she stepped around him. "It's OK." She took a few steadying breaths. Having Jeremy around was something like having a baby tiger. He could be sweet and almost innocent, but also able to rip her apart by accident. He still didn't quite understand his own strength.

"You need to be more careful," Damon snapped, his irritation reaching a dangerous level.

"It was an accident," Bonnie assured him as Stefan and Elena came into the room.

"We heard a crash," Elena said, her gaze swinging from Jeremy to Damon and then to Bonnie. "Is everything OK?"

Jeremy held up his hand limply. His smile was thin and strained. "Bonnie made me a ring."

"And he tried to kill her as a thank you," Damon growled, shaking off Bonnie hold and moving a few feet away.

"You what?" Elena gasped, looking to her brother.

"It was an accident," Bonnie repeated firmly, her eyes not leaving Damon.

"But you're OK?" Stefan pressed, touching her elbow lightly.

Bonnie glanced at him, distracted by the swell of emotions radiating off Damon. "I'm fine."

"OK," Stefan said slowly, not needing a bond with either of them to sense the tension in the room. "I was going to take Elena and Jeremy to Alaric's."

Alaric Saltzman's had been the most obvious choice in safe houses when deciding. Once he was brought up to speed on the problem, he agreed to help and was quite willing to do more than act as a bodyguard for Elena and Jenna while Jeremy was sequestered in the attic and away from Jenna. If Katherine tried anything, she wouldn't be able to get into the house and if she did, Alaric and Jeremy could put up a fairly decent defense if needed.

"You're getting some of those vervain darts from him, too, right?" Bonnie asked.

Stefan nodded. "Yeah. I should be back in about an hour." He glanced at his brother but didn't say anything.

Bonnie checked the clock on Damon's desk. That gave them three hours until noon, when the sun was at its highest point in the sky. The plan was for her to summon the talisman a few minutes before.

Sighing, Elena moved to Bonnie and threw her arms around her friend's neck. "Please be careful."

Bonnie hugged her back. "I will."

Elena pulled back, her eyes a little watery and her smile slipping. She looked over at Damon. "You be careful, too, Damon."

He glanced at her, his lips twitching. "Aren't I always?"

"I mean it," Elena said quietly as she moved away from Bonnie. "If anything happens to Bonnie, I'm holding you responsible."

His eyes darkened for a fraction of a second before he snorted and walked into his bathroom, closing the door with more force than necessary.

Elena turned to Stefan. "See? He isn't taking this seriously. I'm supposed to trust him to protect you and Bonnie?"

"He _is_ taking this seriously, Elena," Bonnie told her gently. "Trust me."

"She's right," Stefan told Elena, twining his fingers with hers. "Damon wants Katherine gone as much as we do."

Elena still didn't look overly convinced, but she let it go. She glanced back at her brother. "Ready to go?"

"Sure," he agreed, but his eyes cut nervously to the closed bathroom door as if expecting Damon to come through it any second. He slowly walked to the door, pausing briefly to give Bonnie a half-hearted smile.

"See you soon?" he offered.

Bonnie nodded slowly, trying to scrape together a smile of her own. It was a watery one with tear pricking the back of her eyes. "See you later."

"I'll be back soon," Stefan told Bonnie as Elena and Jeremy started down the stairs. His eyes drifted to the closed bathroom door. "Is—"

"We'll be fine," Bonnie told him firmly, folding her arms over her chest. She raised her chin a notch. "Go on."

She waited until the front door had shut and she heard Elena's car start up before she started for the bathroom. She only made it three steps before the door slammed open and Damon stormed out.

Bonnie froze, momentarily stunned by the look of wild panic in his eyes as they sought hers. "Damon—"

He was across the room and holding her in his arms before she finished speaking his name. His lips crushed hard against hers as he backed her into the wall, pinning her against it with his body. His mouth teased hers open, his tongue sliding wet and slippery against hers. He tasted like coffee and scotch, a unique blend she had come to crave because was completely Damon.

She tore her lips from his, dizzy from lack of oxygen as his lips moved down her jaw to her throat. Gasping, she fisted her hands in his hair, urging him down as she titled her neck to give him better access. She expected the sharp sting of his fangs sinking into her, but it never came.

He pressed a single kiss against the base of her throat and pulled back to look at her. "Not this time," he muttered a second before his lips claimed hers once more.

His hands framed her face and then skimmed down her arms, brushing the sides of her breasts in a way that made her arch against him. He ignored her, settling his hands around her waist even as she pressed her hips against his.

He pulled his lips from hers and she whimpered in protest. Her eyes opened to see him staring at her, his eyelashes nearly brushing hers.

"We can leave," he said softly, his thumb creeping under the hem of her shirt to brush the soft skin he found there.

Bonnie's arms slid loosely around his neck, her heart pounding an erratic beat. "We—what?"

"We can leave now," he repeated, his blue eyes wide and pleading. "Just us. Katherine won't find us. We can leave Mystic Falls."

Her eyes softened with regret. "Damon, we can't."

His gaze hardened, his pale blue eyes turning to chips of ice. "Why the hell not?"

"What about Elena? And Stefan? Jeremy? Katherine would _kill_ them."

His gaze never wavered and she knew that he could leave them all behind in a heartbeat if she agreed. Because he was scared. For the first time in over a century and a half, Damon Salvatore was scared of losing someone he cared for.

Someone he loved.

Damon had loved Katherine recklessly before she had betrayed him. It was who he was. When he gave his heart, his loyalty and protectiveness knew no bounds.

She could feel it now in the bond and see it hidden in his eyes. The soft, haunting longings of love he was burying under layers of fear and cynicism and sarcasm. Somewhere in the last few weeks the bond had manifested itself into something more, and the realization that he loved her was staggering. Even if he would never say the words aloud, the emotion was there.

Panic settled heavy in her stomach. "Damon, we _can't_."

But, God, she wanted to. So badly it made her physically ache.

His eyes closed for a fraction of a second before he nodded and pushed away from her. He turned his back on her and walked a few steps.

Bonnie swallowed the sob that threatened to escape her lips as she sagged against the wall for support, knowing her legs would never support her weight right now.

"Do you have everything you need for the spell?" he asked after a second, his voice cool and detached. He turned around and looked at her as if everything was fine.

She nodded mutely at him, unable to find her voice.

"OK." He nodded and rubbed his jaw, his eyes not meeting hers. "Stefan will be back soon. We'll summon Katherine in the study. I think that will—"

"Silly, Damon," a silky voice said from the hallway.

Bonnie and Damon's gazes locked and then their heads turned simultaneously to look at the open doorway. Bonnie forced herself into a standing position.

"If you wanted to see me," Katherine drawled in a syrupy sweet voice as she walked leaned against the doorframe, "all you had to do was call." Her lips curved into a wicked smile as she looked from Bonnie to Damon.

Katherine took two long steps into the room and paused. "What did you want to see me about?"

Bonnie edged closer to Damon, knowing her heart was racing and both vampires could hear it. This was bad. So much worse than any of them could have predicted, and Stefan was at least another thirty minutes from coming home.

After several long, silent seconds, Katherine sighed loudly. "Let me guess: You were hoping to kill me using the Power of the sun during the solstice?"

Bonnie's jaw dropped open. Damon kept his cool and shrugged. "Something like that."

Katherine laughed, grinning. "I figured as much. And how exactly were you going to get rid of _this_?" She picked up the necklace with the dark blue stone at the hollow of her throat.

Damon glanced at Bonnie from the corner of his eye and she could feel his tension mounting, coiling.

"How about if I make it easy for you?" Katherine moved forward so she was directly in the beam of sunlight pouring in from the window. She ripped the necklace from her throat and tossed it to Bonnie.

Bonnie caught it on a reflex and watched as Katherine spun in a slow circle. She wasn't burning.

"I don't need it now," Katherine told them both, still smiling. "I have the talisman. The necklace means nothing."

The necklace slid from Bonnie's trembling fingers and hit the wooden floor. She took a step back and looked at Damon, who was still several feet away from her.

Damon's eyes never left Katherine. "So what happens now?"

"Now?" Katherine repeated, tilting her head as she looked at him. "Now I kill you."

She moved faster than either one of them could react to, pinning Damon against the far wall with brute strength.

"No!" The strangled word exploded out of Bonnie. Even as she started for them, she could do nothing but scream as Katherine pulled a stake from her jacket and buried it deep in Damon's chest.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

Bonnie was still screaming when Damon grabbed her shoulders, trying to shake her awake. The door to their room slammed open with a jarring crash as Stefan and Jeremy rushed through, their eyes wild as they searched the room for an intruder. Elena stumbled into the room seconds later, her hair tangled and her eyes stricken.

"Bonnie!" Damon shouted, shaking her harder. He was on his knees in the bed beside her now, feeling her fear as it screamed through their bond.

Bonnie's green eyes snapped open and her chest heaved. Her screams left a sharp ringing in the room. Her eyes were unfocused and still panicked.

"What's wrong?" Stefan demanded, coming around to Bonnie's side of the bed. He started to move closer, but stopped when Damon's gaze flickered darkly at him.

Damon's lips pressed together, his brow furrowing. He loosened his hold on Bonnie, relaxing his fingers so he wouldn't bruise her. "Bonnie?" he pressed gently.

Her eyes moved to his and the glaze melted away as she recognized him. Her mouth dropped open slightly and then she launched herself up, throwing her arms around his neck as tightly as she could get them.

"Easy," Damon admonished, circling his arms around her. The relief that was flooding their bond was overwhelming and nearly choked him with its intensity. He met his brother's eyes over her shoulder and found Stefan was just as baffled as he was.

"Freaky," Jeremy muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. He shrugged after a second, retreating to the window. He looked out and checked the locks to make sure they were still undisturbed. Still puzzled, he walked back over towards Bonnie. "Everything seems fine."

"Bonnie, what the hell was that?" Elena asked, finally coming into the room. She came to a stop beside Jeremy at the foot of the bed.

Bonnie let her eyes slide shut, not caring how foolish or crazy she looked. Her hands speared through Damon's hair and she inhaled his scent. Nothing could shake the vision of Katherine staking him. _Killing_ him. Her chest ached imagining it again. Her head was still pounding from the intensity of the vision. It had been all too real. Her arms tightened even more around Damon's neck, pressing her chest against his.

"Bonnie?" Elena tried again. She started to move around the bed to her friend, but stopped when Damon leveled her with his gaze.

"Everybody out," Damon said, his voice leaving little room for negotiating.

Stefan nodded and turned to leave, pausing to take Elena's hand in his. Jeremy was already gone, presumably heading for his own room.

"Elena," he murmured, giving her hand a gentle tug. He raised his eyebrows expectantly.

Elena frowned and edged closer to the bed. "Maybe I should stay."

"Leave," Damon ordered without looking at her. He shifted in the bed so he was sitting with Bonnie mostly in his lap. He never stopped holding her, his hand smoothing down her back in soothing circles. She was still shaking.

Elena flinched but didn't argue anymore. She sighed and let Stefan lead her out of the room, closing the door behind them.

"You wanna tell me what the hell just happened?" Damon asked mildly after he heard Stefan and Elena move a safe distance away from the door.

"I …" Still breathing hard, Bonnie loosened her grip slightly, pulling back. Embarrassed, she dropped her gaze. "It was just a nightmare," she lied.

"A nightmare did all that?" Damon wasn't convinced. His hands moved to her hips when she tried to get away. He held her against him so she was straddling his lap.

Her gaze lifted slowly to his and she knew he could sense her terror as well as see it now. "A vision."

He seemed to take it in stride, nodding once. "What did you see?"

"I watched Katherine kill you," she said finally. She let her eyes close again; the memory of Katherine driving a stake into his chest was branded in her mind. She sighed when she felt his cool forehead press against hers.

"You're sure it was a vision?" he asked after a minute.

Bonnie looked at him, leaning back. "Yeah. I … I watched her …" She shuddered and started to shake her head. "It wasn't just a dream. It was too real for that."

His hand cradled her cheek, his thumb sweeping across the delicate bone. "Tell me everything."

She told him as much as she remembered. About how Katherine had shown up after Stefan left with Jeremy and Elena. About how the necklace didn't work since she had the talisman. About how she was faster and stronger than any of them had anticipated; how she knew they would try to use the summer solstice against her. And how Katherine had killed Damon against the wall directly across from them.

She told him everything except how he had asked her to leave Mystic Falls. About how she knew, or suspected, that he loved her. That she couldn't tell him.

"So she knows our plan," Damon said when she finished. His jaw tightened. "Can't say I'm too surprised. But at least now we know she knows. And she doesn't know that we know that she—"

Bonnie pressed her fingers against his mouth, silencing him. He was making her head hurt. "I get it. But now what?"

"Now we make sure we're ready when she shows up," he replied blandly, shrugging. "We still need the Power of the solstice for this to work."

"Right, but Katherine is ready for us," she argued. "Katherine knows our plan."

"And we know _hers_," Damon reminded her.

"Damon, she _killed_ you."

"I'm not worried," he said dismissively, brushing it off.

Bonnie's hands framed his face, forcing him to look her in the eye. "I _need_ you to be worried." The memory of him dying was like a knife twisting in her gut.

His lips curved into a smirk, but something in his blue eyes was deadly serious. "Would you miss me?"

Her back stiffened and her green eyes narrowed dangerously. "Don't. Don't do that."

"Don't do _what_?"

"Don't brush this off like it's no big deal," she snapped, her fear for him bringing her anger surging to the surface. She got off the bed in a quick huff, her hands shaking. She tugged at the edge of the shirt she wore—his shirt—and wished she had thrown on a pair on pajama bottoms so she wasn't half naked.

He got off the bed, too. "Look at the bright side: If she kills me it ends the bond and you're free."

Bonnie whirled around fast, her hand cracking against his jaw before either one of them realized what she was doing.

Damon blinked, his eyes wide. He skin didn't have a mark on it, and they both knew he barely felt the blow, but they both froze as if someone had fired a gun in the room.

Bonnie glanced down at her hand and then back at him before her expression went stormy. The tension strained their bond as her fear and anger poured into it.

A muscle ticked in his jaw. "Bonnie—"

"Why the hell would you even say that?" she demanded. "Do you think this has all been some game to me? I'm doing everything I can to keep all of us alive—and that includes you!"

"I didn't—"

"Is that what you think? That I just want to get rid of the bond?" She kept on, her chest heaving. She wanted to scream or throw something. Maybe both.

"Don't you?" he asked quietly after a second. His gaze moved to a spot on the wall behind her.

She stopped cold, something in his tone making her pause in the middle of her rant. She could feel it as her rage started to melt away; she felt how unsure he was.

He was worried she would reject him, just like in her vision. Whatever feelings were manifesting between them were very real and very much there.

She drew in a steadying breath. "You asked me to leave Mystic Falls with you in my vision." She finally admitted.

His eyes went to hers immediately and she saw the surprise there. But it wasn't surprise that he would ask her at all; he was surprised she knew he was going to ask her.

"What did you say?" he asked after a second, not breathing.

She took a few steps closer to him. "I said no," she answered honestly, hating the way his gaze hardened immediately. She could feel him start to pull away emotionally and something in her chest ached. "But not because I didn't want to, Damon."

He started to shake his head, but she was faster and moved to block him before he could turn away from her.

After a second of staring at him, she grabbed for his hand and pressed it against her chest. "Does it _feel_ like I want this to end?" She dropped the walls she had carefully erected to block him out and let him feel through their bond everything she felt. It all came pouring out: her fear that something would happen to him, how angry he made her, how he scared her, how she never felt safer than when she was with him, how she finally found someone who balanced her out.

If it wasn't love, it was damn near close and she was terrified he would do something reckless and destroy whatever they were building before it was ever finished.

He swallowed visibly. The look in his eyes when they met hers was tortured. "I never meant for this to happen."

"Neither of us did," she agreed, remembering the first night weeks back when they had forged the blood bond. "I still don't understand it, but I _need_ you, Damon. I need you to not do anything stupid, OK?"

Damon nodded slowly, his gaze holding hers. He raised a hand to the back of her neck, sliding his fingers through her hair. "We're in this together."

"Promise?" Bonnie pressed, moving closer to him. She leaned her forehead against his and closed her eyes, breathing in his scent and committing it to memory.

His mouth found hers, his lips cool and wet as they moved against her own. He broke the kiss with a groan, wanting more but knowing they both need rest more than anything else.

"I promise," he breathed before kissing her again.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

"Thanks, Bonnie," Jeremy said warmly, holding his hand up in the sunlight. The silver of the band winked back at him, catching the light. "Anna had one of these." A thin smile played across his lips as he glanced back down at his hand.

"Anna was … She gave you her blood?" Bonnie asked, trying to keep everyone straight. So much had changed in such a short amount of time. Pretty soon she was going to need a flow chart to keep up.

Jeremy nodded, his eyes sad. The corners of his mouth tightened. "She was amazing. I think you really would have liked her." He got off the bed where he was sitting with her and moved to the window.

Bonnie held back that she already knew Anna. That Anna, along with Ben, had kidnapped her and was going to force her to open the tomb by any mean necessary. "I bet I would have," she finally agreed with a smile.

Jeremy twisted the ring on his finger. "I miss her," he said quietly.

Bonnie was still fumbling for something to say when Jeremy turned to face her, any trace of sadness gone.

"I guess I should go and see if Stefan and Elena are ready to leave." He crossed the room, nearly stumbling into Damon as he left.

Rolling his eyes, Damon made a show of moving out of the doorway and letting Jeremy scurry past. He looked irritated when he came into the room and glanced at Bonnie. Some of the tight lines around his eyes eased and his lips even hinted at a smile.

"Is this the part where I ask you to run away with me?" he teased softly, crossing the room to stand in front of her.

A ghost of a smile played across her lips as she looked up at him. "What if I said yes this time?"

He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "I can have us packed in less than five minutes. On the road in less than ten."

"Tempting." She arched an eyebrow and snagged two of his belt loops with her fingers. She tugged him down on the bed beside her.

Damon glanced at the open door and then back at her. "Elena's on her way up here," he warned her. "Stefan's with her."

"So?" Bonnie brushed her lips once against his, grabbing his lower lip between her teeth. She smiled against his mouth when he groaned and pushed her back to cover her body with his. He was still kissing her when Stefan and Elena made it into the room.

"Oh!" Elena gasped, trying to back out only to stumble into Stefan. "Um … OK."

Stefan tried to discreetly clear his throat, his hands tightening on Elena's waist to keep her from falling backwards into the hallway. Rolling his eyes, he cleared his throat even louder and added a cough for good measure.

Damon pulled back slightly, his body still hovering over Bonnie's. "What?" he growled, not bothering to spare either of them a glance.

"We … we're leaving," Elena stammered.

"Good," Damon replied, kissing Bonnie once more.

Laughing, Bonnie pushed him off her. With a groan, Damon rolled off her and pushed himself up on one elbow. He glared at Stefan. "Worst timing ever, dude."

Stefan sighed and looked away. "Damon."

"Uh oh," Damon muttered as he got to his feet. He tossed Bonnie a look. "Stefan's using his serious voice."

"Because this _is_ serious, Damon," Elena snapped, her dark eyes flashing. "Katherine is going to be here soon."

Damon's body tensed as the humor drained out of him. Anger flashed hot in his eyes. "You think I don't know that?"

Bonnie scrambled off the bed and positioned herself between him and Elena. She could feel his anger starting to spiral deeper. "Everyone needs to relax. He was just teasing, Elena."

Elena gave Bonnie an incredulous look. "Katherine could kill us all and you're telling me to _relax_?"

"I'm saying Katherine could kill us all today, so it won't hurt to take a moment and be a little happy while we can," Bonnie said sharply. She regretted her tone when she saw Elena flinch and then blush.

Sighing, Bonnie reached for Elena's hand. "I'm sorry, OK? I shouldn't have said that."

"No, you're right," Elena replied with a watery smile as she squeezed Bonnie's hand. "I think I'm just stressed. I wish there was something I could do to help."

"You're doing it," Bonnie assured her. "If you were here I'd be too worried about you. At least this way I know you're safe."

Elena took a steadying breath and pressed her lips together with a quick nod. She hugged Bonnie quickly, her arms tight. "Please be careful."

"I will," Bonnie promised, hugging Elena back. She pulled back after a second and choked out a laugh as she realized they were both tearing up. She wiped her eyes as Elena mirrored the action on herself.

Elena fixed Damon with a level stare. "Take care of her."

"Of course," he answered without a hint of teasing as he stepped up behind Bonnie.

Elena's gaze softened as she kept looking at Damon. "And take care of yourself, too, Damon."

"He will." Bonnie answered before he could. She leaned back, her shoulder pressing against his chest.

With another jerky nod, Elena turned and left the room. Stefan eyed them both for a moment. Worry and concern battled in his eyes as he seemingly struggled to find the right words to voice his thoughts as his gaze settled on Bonnie.

"Leave it alone," Damon finally said sharply, his eyes narrowed.

Bonnie glanced back and forth between the two brothers, not willing to put herself in the line of fire at the moment. She knew Stefan wasn't at all happy with the way things had turned out between her and Damon, but she also knew he didn't want to ruin the tenuous peace he seemed to have found with his brother.

Sighing loudly, Stefan rubbed the back of his neck. "I'll be back soon." He blurred away and the car started a moment later.

"I need to do something," Bonnie said as soon as Damon started to turn away.

Frowning, he glanced back at her. "What?"

"I need to go to Grams'," she replied hesitantly, not sure where the sudden, overwhelming urge was coming from. "There's something there I need."

"What is it?"

"Every witch has their own talisman," Bonnie explained quickly. "Something that they put a piece of themselves into. Sort of like Emily's crystal? Grams had something like that. I think I need it."

"You _think_ you need it?" Damon pressed, his eyebrows raising dramatically.

She picked at her nails. "OK, I _want_ it. I want a piece of her here with me when this goes down."

He cupped her cheek in one hand. "You know you don't need it."

"Probably not," she agreed, leaning into his touch, "but I still want it."

He sighed and back away. "Where is it?"

"I can go—"

"Nuh uh," he cut in with a quick shake of his head. "Not gonna happen. I can be there and back in less than two minutes."

"Oh?" she challenged. "And how will you get past the barrier? You were never invited in, remember?"

He glanced away. "Has anyone lived there since her?"

Bonnie frowned. "No. Why?"

He still wouldn't look her in the eye. "When the owner of a house passes away … the barrier drops. I can get in."

"Oh."

"Where is it?" he asked again, his tone gentler.

Bonnie blinked slowly and sat back down on the edge of the mattress. "There's an antique jewelry box on her dresser. It has a false bottom. It's an emerald. You can't miss it."

He pressed his lips quickly to hers. "I'll be right back."

He started to leave when she stopped him.

"This is probably stupid," she started, "but can you do something else for me on the way?"

"I'm not an errand boy, you know," he said sarcastically with an arched brow.

"This one will only take a few extra minutes," she said, sliding off the bed. She moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing herself against him. "And I promise I'll make it worth your while if we survive this."

His mouth pressed hard against her, his tongue coaxing her lips open. He kissed her until he pulled a moan deep from within her. He pulled back slightly. "_When_ we survive this."

"OK," she agreed, breathlessly dizzy. "When."

He smiled. "What do you want?"

"Just swing by the hospital and check on Caroline? I want to make sure she's safe there."

"She's surrounded by hundreds of doctors and nurses and her boy—" He cut off midsentence as she kissed him again.

"Please?" she asked against his mouth, her fingers stroking the hair at the back of his head.

He rolled his eyes and kissed her chastely on the tip of her nose. "Fine. I'll be back in about fifteen minutes. Stefan should be here shortly after that and then we'll summon Katherine."

"Perfect," she agreed as she stepped out of the circle of his arms. The absence of his touch made her body ache. She smiled softly as he turned and blurred away, the front door slamming behind him in his wake.

Bonnie exhaled a hard breath, pressing a hand to her chest. She waited a second to be sure he was truly gone and then ran for the stairs, jumping the last three to hit the landing on the balls of her feet. She quickly crossed the foyer and went into the study.

She had to move fast if this was going to work.

Thankfully everything she needed for the spell had already been laid out for her to use. The spell itself, written in loopy old calligraphy from one of her descendents, was sitting to the right, but she didn't need it. She had memorized the incantation, burned it into her memory. She grabbed a match and lit the five candles. She dug into her pocket and pulled out Grams' emerald and set it in the center of the candles. Her eyes slid shut as she raised her hands, feeling the Power starting to swell in the room.

Her lips moved quickly and almost silently as she whispered the spell, and then she felt the small _pop_ in the atmosphere. Opening her eyes, she saw Katherine's talisman in front of her.

She gasped slightly, always amazed when a spell actually worked. She lifted the talisman and turned it in her hands. Her eyes snapped up as the candles suddenly went out, faint wisps of smoke curling towards the ceiling. Her hair moved with a slight breeze and she knew before she even started to turn.

"I think you have something that belongs to me," Katherine said sweetly, but underneath the sugary innocence of her tone was steel.

Bonnie turned slowly, the talisman still in her hands. She looked at Katherine, trying not to focus on the sharp points of the vampire's fangs.

"Gotta admit, Bonnie," Katherine went on, slowly starting to circle, "I didn't see this coming. Where are my favorite brothers?"

"Not here." Bonnie was grateful her voice didn't tremble in the least. She lifted her chin a notch. Relief swelled in her chest as she realized she had done it. She had protected Damon. There was no way he would make it back before she was finished.

Katherine laughed, her shoulders shaking. "And how does this play out, Bonnie? We already played this game and I won. _Twice_."

"I'm not going to let you hurt anyone else I love," Bonnie said through clenched teeth. Her hands curled into fists, the talisman biting into her skin painfully.

"How noble," Katherine demurred, still grinning. She fingered the necklace at her throat. "But I still have my little magic charm."

"_Adeo mihi_," she whispered, closing her eyes for a brief second. She looked at Katherine and opened her other palm to reveal Katherine's necklace.

Katherine's fingers moved to her throat and she frowned when she realized it was bare. "Cute trick. But they'll be easy to get back when I snap your neck." She started towards Bonnie.

Bonnie squared her shoulders and leveled a wave of Power at Katherine, smiling to herself when Katherine grimaced and raised a hand to her temple.

"Annoying," Katherine ground out, her eyes flashing red, "but still not enough." She moved at lightening quick speed, grabbing Bonnie by the shoulders and tossing her away like a rag doll. Bonnie twisted and rolled across the floor, her back taking the brunt of the hit.

Katherine was standing in front of her immediately. Her fingers closed around Bonnie's throat, but didn't squeeze as she picked Bonnie up off the floor. "Any last words?"

"Yeah," Bonnie whispered harshly, her green eyes flashing. She clapped her hands over Katherine's wrists. "Burn in hell."

Bonnie dropped all her shields and let the Power flow through her like a conduit, drawing energy from the bond with Damon, from Grams' crystal, and from the elements around her, most importantly the sun. She grit her teeth as pain flared in her head and a burning sensation started in her chest, slowly working its way outward as it consumed her. She heard Katherine's screams and almost smiled. Katherine was burning, too.

She couldn't breathe. The pain and the heat were smothering her, but she forced the connection to the Power open even wider yet. Her heart slammed painfully in her chest as her body tried to compensate for the Power, but it was useless.

She was burning with Katherine.

Her hands tightened around Katherine's wrists a bit more as she willed her body to hold out a few more seconds. Katherine had stopped screaming, and Bonnie could smell the decay and rot in the air of scorched flesh. The skin under her hands was thin and crumbling.

_At least he's safe_, she thought a second before her heart seized with an irregular beat. A sharp pain exploded in her head and the world went white.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

Rage and fear battled for dominance as Damon raced across town at an inhuman pace. Branches from trees tore at his clothes, slicing small cuts through his skin that immediately healed while he ran through the woods. He had felt the first wave of panic—really more like a hammer to the skull—as he was leaving Caroline's hospital room. It had nearly knocked him over, as had the realization that Bonnie had lied to him. _Again_.

He was going to kill her if she hadn't already beaten him to it.

The front yard came into view as he broke through the tree line across the street, and Damon could see Stefan was back, pulling the car into the driveway. The tires screeched in protest as the car was thrown abruptly into park. The light emanating from inside the house was blinding. Like staring directly into the sun. The light pulsed and throbbed with Power that only seemed to be growing in size.

"What happened?" Stefan demanded, his green eyes flashing with disbelief as he tracked Damon's approach.

"Bonnie," Damon spat. He hit the house at a flat run, slamming into the front door with enough force to rip it from its hinges and crack it in three places. He turned the corner with Stefan on his heels and they both came to a grinding halt.

A searing pain flared across Damon's arm and for a moment he wasn't sure if it was his pain or Bonnie's until Stefan dragged him back into the shadow of the hall. Damon glanced down at his arm and saw it was smoking. The light pulsating off of Bonnie had burned him.

"She did it," he whispered, dumbstruck with horror and awe at the scene before him.

Bonnie and Katherine were locked together in the center of the room, Bonnie's hands holding tight to Katherine's shoulders. Bonnie was on her knees and Katherine was crumbling to ash before their eyes. The light was coming from where Bonnie's hands held fast to Katherine.

Damon felt another wave of heat wash over him and he forced himself to step forward and not backwards to press himself deeper into the shadows his body craved. The smell of burning flesh and scorched hair wrinkled his nose as he shook off Stefan's hand.

"Damon—_don't_," Stefan ordered, reaching for his brother again only to find empty air.

"It's going to kill her," Damon retorted, keeping close to the walls and as far out of the direct light as he could.

"It already has," Stefan insisted gently.

Damon's gaze swung back to Stefan. His eyes hardened into identical chips of blue ice. "Would you leave Elena?"

Stefan looked away, his jaw tight. "You need to sever the connection," he said finally, glancing back at Damon. "Pull her away from Katherine. That might break it."

Damon swallowed the ache that was beginning to fill his chest—Bonnie's chest. He could feel her Power beginning to flicker and fade. He forced himself to take a deep, albeit unnecessary, breath and then pushed off the wall.

He made it four steps before the pain nearly knocked him to his knees. It was like standing in a bonfire. Heat swelled around him as he forced himself forward. Gritting his teeth, he could feel his skin starting to smoke and smolder under the heat, and he knew it was only a matter of seconds before he was burned just like Katherine. Like Bonnie.

His hand closed around Bonnie's shoulder and he forced himself into their bond, past the walls she had constructed earlier that day to keep him out.

"Bonnie." The word came out a choked rasp as he tried to pull her back.

There was a faint flicker of awareness, but she didn't glance at him. Not even when the flames began to lick the back of his hand.

"Bon—" He didn't have enough air to finish. He choked on the heated air as his hand tightened against hers. He tried pulling her away.

_You shouldn't be here_.

Bonnie voice in his head nearly stunned him into stopping. While he had been able to feel her moods, almost to the point of being able to read her mind, he had never actually been able to hear her thoughts. Now they were coming through loud and clear.

_You shouldn't be here. I did this so you wouldn't be here. So you would be safe._

He touched her face with his other hand and she finally looked at him, her green eyes dull and exhausted. A slow leak of blood dripped from her nose. The light flickered briefly before flaring back into brilliance.

_Let go_, he urged silently.

Something dark and primal flashed behind her eyes. _I have to stop her_.

_She's gone_, he promised. _Let go, Bonnie. Just let it go._

_But—_

He forced her to feel what he was feeling; see what he was seeing. _Trust me,_ he pleaded.

Bonnie's head dropped and her hand fell away. The light faded and the fire seeped away. What was left of Katherine's body fell against the floor and shattered into a flurry of dust and ash.

"It worked," Bonnie murmured. She glanced up at Damon.

He nodded slowly, looking at her. His body was already beginning to heal itself, but he could hear the staggered rhythm of her heart. He could feel the empty pit left behind from the Power her body had used up. The Power had punched through her chest, leaving nothing now but a bottomless vacuum that sucked out her life. She was too human for that much Power. Her body wasn't built as a conduit for that much energy.

"Bonnie—"

She smiled and reached up, silencing him with a finger to his mouth. "It _worked_," she said again, a smile ghosting across her lips a second before she collapsed.

* * *

She was floating.

Her body was light, weightless, in the unknown. She drifted in and out, sometimes understanding the voices but mostly not.

Sometimes she dreamed, but she hated those the most.

The dreams left her with an aching, hollow feeling that nothing sated. His eyes haunted her. Pale blue and cold, hardened with fresh betrayal. The pale, pink lips pressed into a thin line, his jaw set and unyielding.

She hated the dreams the most.

* * *

"Bonnie?"

The voice was there, under the layers she struggled to break through. Like being buried under a mountain of blankets.

"I think she's waking up—her eyes moved."

_I'm here!_ She wanted to shout as she peeled back another layer, fighting to get to the top.

She could feel her hands now, forced one finger to twitch.

"Bonnie? Sweetheart?"

She knew that voice. She could feel her lips tremble as they struggled to smile. She _knew_ that voice. She wanted to see the face that went with it, but her eyes refused to open.

"Come on, Bonnie! Open your eyes!"

The light cut into her eyes harshly as her eyes opened. She squeezed them shut again on reflex, cursing the light and her sensitive sight. She slowly tried again, the movements painstakingly slow.

A hand lifted hers, pressed it to warm lips.

"Hi, baby."

Bonnie blinked once, her eyes settling on the face looming above hers.

"Daddy," she whispered, the word hoarse and thick with emotion. She moved her eyes around the room, sucking in a sharp breath. "What—"

"You're in the hospital," Caroline announced, her head suddenly peering around Mr. Bennett's shoulder. Her eyes blue eyes sparkled with relief. "How do you feel?"

"I don't … What happened?" Bonnie muttered, trying to push herself up, but she found her arms had no strength. She sagged back against the lumpy, hospital-issue pillows.

"You don't remember the fire?" Elena asked carefully, coming around to the other side of the bed. Stefan hovered beside her, his gaze dark and unreadable.

"Fire?" Bonnie repeated numbly, thinking back. She remembered burning and then being so cold. And empty. And—

"Katherine," Bonnie hissed, her eyes snapping to Elena's. "Is she—"

"Who's Katherine, sweetheart?" Mr. Bennett asked, smoothing her hair back from her face.

Bonnie stared hard at Elena. "Where is—"

"You don't remember the fire?" Stefan asked, his voice smooth as satin. He touched Elena's hip, a subtle gesture that made her sidestep so he could lean in closer to Bonnie. His green eyes swirled with unreadable emotion.

Bonnie hesitated, her gaze flickering to her father and Caroline. Both smiled encouragingly at her. She looked back at Stefan. "It's a little fuzzy."

He smiled kindly, but she could see the gratitude behind it. He was thankful she was letting him lie for her.

"You, me, and Elena went to the cabin by the quarry, remember? We started a fire, but the wind kicked up and the cabin caught on fire, too. You passed out from smoke inhalation."

"You've been out for almost three days," Mr. Bennett added with a frown. Worry lines creased his forehead and aged his eyes. "The doctors didn't know what was wrong."

Bonnie frowned and then glanced around the room again. She warily eyed Elena and Stefan. "Where's Damon?"

"Who's Damon?" Mr. Bennett asked.

Caroline grimaced. "Seriously, Bonnie? You're still hanging out with Damon?"

Elena shifted, uneasy, and cleared her throat. She looked at Mr. Bennett. "Maybe one of us should call the doctor? Tell him she's awake?"

Mr. Bennett nodded and backed away from the bed. He squeezed Bonnie's hand once more. "I'm glad you're awake, sweetheart. I'll be back with the doctor in a minute." He headed out the door.

Caroline grinned down at Bonnie, arching her brows. "You look like shit, Bennett."

"Caroline!" Elena gasped, shooting her friend a reproving glare.

Bonnie forced a laugh, but felt grateful that even if everything else was a shattered mess, at least Caroline was normal. "Thanks, Forbes."

Caroline winked at her. "I'm gonna call Matt and tell him you're awake." She turned and scampered out the door, her blond hair trailing behind her.

A cold feeling of dread snaked through her muscles and coiled low in her belly. "Where is he?" she whispered, already knowing the answer. She felt it in her bones, but she needed to hear it anyway.

"He's … gone, Bonnie," Elena said softly, taking Bonnie's hand in hers.

Stefan looked away. "He left right after we got you to the hospital. The doctors said you'd be OK, and he…" Stefan shrugged and shook his head. "I'm sorry."

"How … how am I OK?" she asked hesitantly.

Stefan met her gaze and didn't look away this time. "Damon. He gave you all his Power. Gave you some of his blood, too, so you could … heal."

Bonnie felt the heat building behind her eyes as the tears welled. She closed her eyes and let turned her face away as the tears slid hot down her cheeks.

She knew he was gone. She could feel him missing from the bond. It was like a raw, gaping hole. His presence had been torn out of her leaving nothing but a shredded mess behind. If she couldn't even feel him in the bond then he was either very far away or he figured out how to sever their connection. That realization crippled her more than the fire that burned her alive as she killed Katherine.

Her shoulders shook as a strangled sob clawed its way from her throat. She felt the bed shift as Elena got in behind her, hold her as she cried.

Damon was gone, and it was entirely her fault.


	28. Chapter 28

**Tear the World Down**

By: IsisIzabel

**Chapter 28**

_**~One Week Later~**_

"_Are you sure you don't want to come over?" Elena pressed_.

Bonnie cradled the phone between her shoulder and ear as she rearranged the makeup on her dresser. "I'm sure. Besides, I'm sure you have your hands full without me there."

_Elena snorted. "You have no idea. I could use the distraction."_

"How is Jeremy handling Jenna hovering like a crazed-Momma bear?" Bonnie asked. She separated the lip sticks from the lip glosses and arranged them by color shade.

"_At least she's not watching him sleep anymore," Elena admitted with a chuckle. "That was kinda creepy. And Jeremy knew she was there the whole time. I think Jenna thinks if she watches Jeremy every second he won't disappear."_

Bonnie knocked over a tube of mascara, watching as it rolled off the dresser and onto the floor. She sighed and stooped to pick it up. "But can you blame her? A few weeks ago her nephew overdosed and then vanished from the hospital, and now he turns up saying he's sorry? Of course she's freaking."

"_Jeremy's been great, though," Elena replied with a smile. "He's just letting her do what she needs to feel better. He gets how hard this is on Jenna, and he even admitted it was his fault. But I'm wondering when he'll have enough and—"_

"Eat her?" Bonnie quipped, standing back up.

"_That's so not funny," Elena retorted._

Bonnie smirked and headed for the bathroom. "I thought Jeremy had his cravings … under control."

"_Yeah, as long as Stefan keeps sneaking him blood from the hospital." Elena made a disgusted noise in the back of her throat. "I wish he'd just switch to animals or something. Not humans."_

"At least he isn't _killing_ humans," Bonnie added. "And it's only been what? Three days since he came back home? He needs to adjust as much as Jenna does." She walked to the bathtub and turned on the water.

_Elena hesitated. "Speaking of adjusting … how are you?"_

Bonnie hesitated, flicking her fingers under the water to test the temperature. She perched on the edge of the bathtub and closed the drain. "I'm OK."

"_Bonnie—"_

"I'm serious, Elena," Bonnie cut her off, forcing an edge of steel into her tone. "It's been a week since Damon left and I'm … I'm OK. Not great, but OK."

_Elena sighed quietly. "Bonnie, I just … I wish there was a way for me to make this easier for you. I feel like this is my fault. Like I should have seen it coming."_

"I made the decision to bond with him," Bonnie replied, squeezing her eyes shut. "I knew what I was getting into."

"_Did you really?"_

"It doesn't really matter now, does it?" Bonnie said softly. "He's gone, and I … I'm dealing with it."

"_I won't keep bugging you, I promise," Elena assured her. "I'm just worried."_

"I appreciate it, but I'm really OK." Bonnie stood up and opened the closet door to pull out a thick terrycloth towel. "I'll call you tomorrow, OK?"

"_Sure. Talk to you tomorrow."_

Sighing, Bonnie ended the call. She knew Elena meant well, but she just didn't get it. She didn't understand.

Bonnie turned off the water. She set the phone down on the counter and started to pull off her top until a movement out of the corner of her eyes caught her attention. She spun and gasped, pressing a hand to her chest when her heart slammed painfully against it.

"Damon," she breathed, her green eyes widening as she looked him over.

He hesitated in the doorway of the bathroom and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "Can we talk?"

She nodded soundlessly.

"Not here," he said softly, backing away. "Will you come with me?"

"OK," she whispered, taking the hand he extended to her.

* * *

The charred remains of the cabin looked like a skeleton against the full moon. Broken fragments of black wood and shattered glass littered the ground. Bonnie couldn't help but feel connected to the destruction. She felt just as smashed and hollowed out inside as the cabin looked.

"I knew Stefan told my dad that there was a fire at the cabin," Bonnie started slowly, moving away from Damon, "but I didn't expect this."

"We had to make it look believable. It explained the … burns," Damon replied softly, making no move to join her. His eyes followed her movements with sharp awareness.

She absently rubbed her arms where the burn marks had nearly completely faded.

"How … are you OK?" he asked stiffly.

She turned and looked back at him with a thin smile. "Yeah." She extended her arms so he could see. "The blood you gave me worked. I probably won't even have a scar."

"That's good."

Silence hung heavy and thick between them, uncomfortable as a wet blanket and just as suffocating. A wood frog trilled in the dark of the woods, his call piercing the night.

"Damon—"

"Bonnie—"

She smiled, biting her lower lip. She gestured to him. "You first."

"No, go ahead."

She arched an eyebrow. "You wanted to talk to me, remember?"

A shadow crossed his eyes and his lips pressed together grimly. "I just … I wanted to make sure you were all right."

She swallowed roughly and glanced away. "I guess so." She looked back at him, still feeling a spark when their eyes met, but it was nothing like what it had been the last few weeks. Now it felt like a broken power line, snapping and popping with electricity. It was out of control and frightening. It wasn't like the solid, flowing current that had bonded them so tightly earlier.

"Did you …" She cleared her throat nervously. "The bond…"

"It's a spell," he answered softly.

Her brows raised dramatically. "You know magic?"

A flashed her a rueful smile. "A small spell. I just … blunted the bond. The distance helped."

"So it's gone?"

"Does it feel gone?" he replied, his tone laced with bitterness.

Bonnie stiffened. She didn't need a bond with him to feel his irritation. A flush blossomed on her cheeks and she quickly looked back at the ground. "I can do some research. Find a spell to completely remove the bond."

His teeth clicked together and he sighed. "If that's what you want."

"What _I_ want?" Her head snapped up, eyes wide. "What the hell does that mean?"

"It means do whatever you want, Bonnie," he replied wearily, his eyes narrowed.

She spread her hands out at her sides. "Damon, I don't know _what_ I want. What do _you_ want?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Yes, it—"

"I don't know!" His eyes flashed silver in the moonlight, feral and uncontrolled. His hands clenched by his sides as he took a single step in her direction. He raked a hand through his hair. "I don't know what the hell I want. All I know is I can't do…"

"Can't do what, Damon?" she challenged, raising her chin a notch.

"_This_."He gestured to the space between them.

Her expression went cold, hard. "A relationship? You can't do a—"

He held up his hands and started to back away. "You know what? Forget it." He turned and started back for the car when he was suddenly forced to a stop.

"Don't you _dare_," Bonnie hissed through clenched teeth. She relaxed her Power so he could move again. "Don't you dare walk away from me. Not again."

He spun around, his glittering dangerously. "You still don't get it, do you?"

Her eyes drifted shut, her expression pained. "I know I betrayed you—"

"Dammit, Bonnie!" He lashed out, his fist catching a sapling and snapping it. He came at her, grabbing her shoulders in his hands and forcing her to look at him. "Losing Katherine nearly killed me. It ripped me apart day after day for over a century. I loved her and it nearly destroyed me. And then this thing with you happened, and I almost lost you, too. I can't be that vulnerable again. I won't let that happen."

She knocked his hands away from her but took a step closer so they were toe-to-toe. "Love is hard, Damon. It's a daily fight—especially for people like us." Her gaze softened and she reached up to trace his jaw. "Don't you see? That's why I did it."

He snorted. "You lied because you love me? And here I thought I was the one with the questionable morals."

"No," Bonnie retorted. "I lied because I saw her _kill_ you in my vision. I stood there and watched you die, and I was completely powerless. This was the only way I could make sure that didn't happen. I couldn't risk her killing you."

"Bonnie," he said with a reluctant sigh, his fingers tangling in her hair.

"I can't live in a world where she could kill you while I did nothing," she admitted. She swallowed. "I don't think I can live … without you."

He tipped his head back and scoffed. "That's pretty fucking selfish."

"Excuse me?"

He looked her in the eye. "You can die and leave _me_ alone? How is _that_ fair?"

"You would have done the same if the situation were reversed," she accused.

"Maybe I would have," he admitted. "But I don't know where that leaves us."

Tears swelled in her eyes and she blinked them back. "Damon … What do you want?"

Emotions flickered over his face and he shook his head. "I want you."

Relief surged through her and she stepped towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I want you, too."

He moved his hands automatically to her waist, his expression stricken. "Do you even think this can work?"

"I think so," she said with a nod. "I mean, it will be hard—"

"How? I mean," he began, looking over her shoulder, "I'm responsible for your grandmother's death, remember?"

"I forgive you," she replied gently.

His eyes widened, surprised. "Why—"

She pressed a finger to his lips. "I get it now."

"Get what?"

"When I thought Katherine killed you," she said softly, "I would have done anything to stop that. Anything to get you back. I understand why you did what you had to so you could get Katherine out of the tomb. I don't exactly _agree_ with it, but I understand it. And I forgive you. I know you didn't mean to get Grams killed. And Grams knew what she was getting into when she agreed to help you. I think if she had really wanted to, she could have stopped you. But she didn't." Her fingers toyed with his hair, her nails raking lightly against his scalp.

He sighed and closed his eyes, pressing his forehead to hers. "Promise not to lie to me again."

"I promise," she repeated, meaning every syllable. She could feel the bond stirring to life inside her, the weak threads slowly tangling together. "Promise not to lie to me? Ever?"

He chuckled. "Promise." His fingers traced her nose and then her jaw. "I promise."

She pulled back, opening her eyes. She smiled when she saw the silver blue of his irises staring back at her. "Hey, Damon?"

"Hmm?" he murmured, pushing her hair away from her neck.

Bonnie arched an eyebrow. "You planning on kissing me anytime soon?"

His lips curved into a wicked smile and then he was kissing her, lifting her off the ground in his arms under the stars.

**~The End~**

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_**Author's Note:**__ I cannot thank you all enough for all your lovely comments and encouragements while I wrote __Tear The World Down__. Trying to write for a new fandom is always a challenge, and the way this fic was received was more than enthusiastic. Thank you so, so much!_

_In fact, I already have a sequel in the works, so expect it in the next few months. If you go to my livejournal community, you can see a banner for the sequel fic: __How A Resurrection Feels._


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